Man wrongly jailed in van 'closing door' case may be in line for compensation, Hong Kong justice minister says
After court clears defendant of tampering with vehicle, justice minister Rimsky Yuen says he can seek redress through official channels
A man wrongfully jailed for six weeks for closing the door of a stranger's van could seek compensation under official channels, the secretary for justice said on Wednesday.
Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung was responding to the Court of Final Appeal's ruling on Monday that Law Yat-ting's act did not amount to the criminal offence of "tampering" with a vehicle. A top judge described the sentence as "most regrettable" and one that "could have been mitigated by a more timely appeal coupled with an application for bail".
"The gentleman has told media that he hoped the government would compensate him. On this, the government has an administrative mechanism through which compensation could be sought," Yuen said.
University of Hong Kong legal academic Eric Cheung Tat-ming, who represented Law in the top court appeal, agreed his client should get compensation.
"His act did not constitute an offence whatsoever. This is a very clear-cut case," he said.
He would not speculate on the amount of compensation that should be awarded, saying the process required negotiation.