Judge rejects bid for Hong Kong political reform judicial review

A bid to overturn the Hong Kong government’s decision on the second round of public consultation on the city’s political reform failed today after a judge refused to grant permission for a judicial review.

The legal proceeding, lodged by former president of the University of Hong Kong’s student union Yvonne Leung Lai-kwok, was rejected by Mr Justice Thomas Au Hing-cheung.

On rejecting Leung’s application, Au said some of the points she advanced were not “reasonably argued”.

He said that when putting forward her case, Leung “impliedly accepted” the Hong Kong court did not have jurisdiction over a decision handed down by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on August 31.

It was Leung’s case, presented by her lawyer Anson Wong SC, that the Hong Kong government had been “misdirected” in relying heavily on that decision, when making its own consultation decision on January 31.

Au did not accept Wong and his client’s view that by sticking to the standing committee’s decision, it was effectively an error of law, as it barred the Hong Kong chief executive from receiving views that fell outside the limitations enshrined in the decision.