Bao Choy wins appeal at Hong Kong’s top court as journalist

Bao Choy, a documentary journalist who was working as a freelancer for public broadcaster RTHK, has won her appeal at Hong Kong’s top court over a conviction for accessing vehicle registration records. Choy had aimed to use the records to find out who was involved in a violent assault on protesters and train travellers at the Yuen Long station during the 2019 mass protests. She was convicted in April 2021 on two counts of making false statements to obtain information and fined 6,000 Hong Kong dollars ($764). However, the Court of Final Appeal has now overturned the conviction, stating that a “substantial and grave injustice” had been done to Choy by inferring that she knowingly made false statements when accessing the search application database for vehicle registration records. The case hinged on what constitutes “traffic and transport-related matters” and whether it includes reporting. Choy said the case was important because of its implications for press freedom in Hong Kong. Before Choy’s arrest, it was common practice for Hong Kong media to access public records for use in their reporting and none had ever been prosecuted.