Hong Kong’s High Court on Monday overturned the conviction of a journalist in connection with an investigation into an assault by Chinese government supporters on pro-democracy militants in July 2019. Bao Choy, a freelance journalist, was sentenced in 2021 to pay a fine of 6,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $765) for “false statement” in obtaining vehicle ownership information from a public registry during her investigation.
The online form used to access this information offered three options: “for court proceedings,” “for the purchase and sale of vehicles,” and “for other matters related to traffic and transportation.” Bao Choy had selected the third option, which the trial court and the appeal said was not justified for a journalistic purpose.
However, on Monday, a five-judge panel of the Supreme Court overturned the conviction, finding that there was “no reason (…) to exclude bona fide journalism” from the definition of the third option. The judges stated in their decision that “other matters related to traffic and transportation’ can be interpreted more broadly to include the serious investigative journalism conducted in this case.”
Bao Choy expressed his happiness after learning of the decision, stating, “Happy, I can’t find another word to describe my feeling right now.” The decision represents a rare victory for press freedom in Hong Kong, where major independent media outlets have been forced to shut down since China imposed a national security law in 2020.
The overturning of Bao Choy’s conviction provides some relief to the journalism community and highlights the importance of protecting press freedom and investigative journalism in Hong Kong. However, the overall situation for independent media in the region remains precarious due to restrictions imposed by the national security law and other measures limiting freedom of speech and press in the territory.