Woman who suffered eye injury during Hong Kong protest can take police to court in warrant fight, judge rules

Court of First Instance grants leave to the woman, identified only as K, to continue legal battle

Woman was hurt in anti-government protest and lawyer called police move to seize her medical records ‘egregious breach’ of her rights.

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Police obtained a warrant and seized the woman’s medical records from Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Yau Ma Tei. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 2:04pm, 13 Sep 2019Updated: 3:40pm, 13 Sep 2019

A Hong Kong court has said a woman who suffered a serious eye injury during an anti-government protest can launch a legal bid to access warrants sought by the police to obtain her medical records.

The Court of First Instance granted leave to the woman, identified only as K, a day after her lawyers said the move by the police had constituted an “egregious breach” of her rights to her privacy and access to justice.

“I consider that there is an arguable case that merits fuller consideration,” wrote Mr Justice Godfrey Lam Wan-ho in his judgment on Friday.

The woman, who was granted anonymity for fear of doxxing, has become an icon for the anti-government movement after she was hit in the right eye during clashes between protesters and police in Tsim Sha Tsui on August 11.

Speaking through her lawyers afterwards, K said she was satisfied with the outcome and was “happy to see that Hong Kong is still a society with the rule of law”.

The woman was granted leave to continue her legal fight by the Court of First Instance. Photo: Roy Issa

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