Hong Kong court’s order to restrict public inspection of voters’ registry sparks fears of curbs on press freedom

A court order to restrict public inspection of the voters’ registry has sparked fears of curbs on press freedom after judges left it for the government to decide which journalists would be qualified for exemption from the new rule.

The Court of Appeal on Wednesday ordered the government to consider an opt-out mechanism for voters to shield their personal data listed in the registry from public view out of safety concerns. It ruled that unrestricted public access to the election document infringed on residents’ privacy and voting rights.

While the court declared that election candidates, political parties and members of the press were not bound by the restriction, it said it was up to the government to devise plans to enforce the ruling, including which people in the media industry could have access to the voter list.

Earlier this month, the court handed a partial victory to the Junior Police Officers’ Association, which had sought to bar public inspection of the registry over concerns that officers’ residential addresses listed in it would be used for “doxxing” – maliciously publishing the information on the internet.

The court also asked lawyers for the police group, election authorities and journalists’ associations to appear before it on Wednesday to advise on the orders to be made to reflect the judgment.

In the hearing, government lawyer Raymond Leung Wai-man SC said authorities would establish a vetting mechanism and only allow news organisations registered under the Government News and Media Information System (GNMIS) to obtain access to the registry, through which journalists detect vote-rigging practices.

The system has around 200 registered users, among which 30 are online-only media.