Hong Kong judiciary says courts will withhold details on defendants and police from reporters, day after city’s leader warned against ‘weaponisation’ of personal information
- Judiciary says move is to guard against undermining of proper operation of legal system
- Journalists’ group expresses disappointment in decision and urges removal of ‘curb on the press’
Hong Kong’s courts have stopped providing reporters with personal details of those facing trial and the police officers handling their cases, on the day the city’s leader said journalists should not enjoy “privilege”.
According to a statement from the judiciary on Wednesday, the city’s courts have begun redacting ID card numbers, addresses and dates of birth of defendants in documents accessible to journalists.
Details of officers handling cases were also concealed, with the judiciary citing the disproportionality and damage to its operation as reasons.
The move came amid heightened concerns that the city’s press freedom could be curtailed in the wake of a recent government’s proposal to restrict public viewing of certain data in the Companies Registry. The online database is where journalists investigate corporate connections.
Addressing the topic on Tuesday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor argued that the restrictions were to prevent the “weaponisation” of personal information. “I cannot see the reason for journalists to have that privilege,” she said.
Explaining its decision, a judiciary spokesman said: “As providing personal information of a high degree of privacy may undermine the proper operation of the judiciary, or be disproportionate to the requirement of judicial transparency, the court will no longer provide the date of birth, ID card number and address of a defendant, as well as personal details of those in charge of prosecutions, starting from the 30th of this month.”
