Two years after hurling egg, convicted Hong Kong democracy activist challenges prison book limit

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Derek Chan Tak-cheung (left), with 'Long Hair' Leung Kwok-hung, has twice this week filed applications against the Correctional Services Department regarding his 2013 conviction of common assault. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Published: 4:45pm, 20 Aug 2015Updated: 4:33pm, 21 Aug 2015

An activist jailed for throwing an egg at Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah filed his second judicial review application against the Correctional Services Department, this time challenging the rule that an inmate may receive at most six books from outside prison per month, according to a High Court document.

Derek Chan Tak-cheung, secretary general of the League of Social Democrats, claimed he was taking a master’s course and required more than six books to prepare for two essays during his imprisonment between April 29 and May 19.

“[Chan] believed that the practice limited his academic research,” the document stated.

Chan was convicted of common assault for throwing an egg at Tsang during a forum at Java Road on December 7, 2013. He was jailed for three weeks but only served his sentence after he lost his appeal in April this year. He was detained at Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre and then transferred to Tong Fuk Correctional Institution.

He claimed the department could not impose a limit on the number of religious books that inmates could receive.

“It is not proportionate to allow unlimited religious books from outside but limit other [kinds of] books to six per month,” the document stated.