Court Denies Ronson Chan Appeal Certificate
Hong Kong's High Court refused former Journalists Association chair Ronson Chan permission to take his police obstruction conviction to the top court.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Criminal Justice
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Hong Kong High Court Deputy Judge Lily Wong refused Ronson Chan a certificate to appeal his September 2023 obstruction conviction to the Court of Final Appeal. Chan, who served a five-day jail term after losing his earlier appeal in May, can still apply directly to the Court of Final Appeal's Appeal Committee for leave to appeal.
Why it matters
The ruling leaves unresolved whether Hong Kong's Police Force Ordinance grants officers free-standing power to demand proof of identity, a question Chan's lawyer described as of great and general importance. Press freedom groups have criticized his imprisonment, putting the case in the spotlight for journalists and rights advocates.
Chan was convicted of obstructing police in September 2023 and has already served a five-day sentence after losing his May appeal. Judge Wong's refusal of a certificate to appeal means any further challenge must go directly to the Court of Final Appeal's Appeal Committee, and no outcome there has been reported.
The players
Ronson Chan
Chan chaired the Hong Kong Journalists Association from 2021 to 2024 and was convicted of obstructing police after refusing an identity card demand.
Lily Wong
Wong is a Hong Kong High Court deputy judge who refused Chan a certificate to appeal his conviction to the Court of Final Appeal.
Hong Kong Journalists Association
The Hong Kong Journalists Association is a professional body for local reporters that expressed deep regret after Chan lost his appeal in May.
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders is an international press freedom organization that said it was outraged by Chan's imprisonment.
The details
Chan refused to show his identity card to a plainclothes officer in September 2022 while reporting on a homeowners' committee meeting in Mong Kok, and was arrested after repeated warnings. Judge Wong rejected the argument that the Police Force Ordinance does not give officers the power to demand identity proof.
Timeline
September 2022: Chan refused the plainclothes officer's identity card demand in Mong Kok.
September 2023: Chan was convicted of obstructing police.
May: Chan lost his appeal and began serving a five-day jail sentence.
November 6, 2026: Judge Wong refused Chan a certificate to appeal to the Court of Final Appeal.
Legal Context
The case turns on whether the Police Force Ordinance grants officers free-standing power to demand identity proof, a question the courts have not settled. Chan's prosecution for obstruction over an identity card refusal places the statute's reach at the center of a broader debate over police powers and press freedom in Hong Kong.
Journalists and reporters in Hong Kong face the practical reality that refusing an identity card demand from police can lead to arrest and a jail sentence. The unresolved question of whether officers hold such power affects how people covering public meetings and events may interact with plainclothes officers.
The takeaway
Reporters and members of the public in Hong Kong should understand that declining to show identification to police carries legal risk, even when the refusal rests on a contested reading of the law. Anyone facing a similar demand may want to note that the question remains open at the Court of Final Appeal.
Further reading
For broader context on legal proceedings and prosecutions, explore Criminal Justice coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Hong Kong Free Press HKFP.
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