Hong Kong activist to pay HK$100,000 for needless court bid to challenge protest song ban

Court of Appeal denies request from jailed activist Chow Hang-tung to challenge decision barring her from contesting song injunction order

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Chow Hang-tung is currently detained under the Beijing-decreed national security law for allegedly inciting subversion. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 9:48pm, 18 Jul 2024Updated: 11:06pm, 18 Jul 2024

A Hong Kong court has ordered a jailed activist to pay HK$100,000 (US$12,800) to authorities for making a “totally unmeritorious” request to allow her to contest a ban on the promotion of a popular 2019 protest song.

The Court of Appeal on Thursday refused to allow Chow Hang-tung to challenge an earlier decision barring her from filing grounds of objection against an injunction order on “Glory to Hong Kong”, which was mistaken for the national anthem of China at several overseas sports events.

Chief Judge of the High Court Jeremy Poon Shiu-chor and Madam Justice Carlye Chu Fun-ling ordered Chow to bear the legal expenses incurred by the justice minister in her failed appeal bid, including for hiring two senior counsel, assessed to be HK$100,000 on a “broad-brush approach”.

The justices said in a written ruling that Chow was in no position to challenge the ban, as she was neither a defendant nor party to the civil injunction proceedings.

They noted the activist, who is now detained under the Beijing-decreed national security law for allegedly inciting subversion, did not admit she had used or intended to use the song with criminal intent.