Court dismisses challenge to Danny protection order

The High Court in Hong Kong has dismissed a challenge by baby Danny's parents to the government's custody of the four-month-old. Danny is currently in the care of the Social Welfare Department as part of a three-year protection order issued in June by the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court. In the ruling, High Court judge Queeny Au-Yeung stated that the parents' application for a habeas corpus writ was "entirely inappropriate" because the writ is only used when ordinary remedies do not apply.

The judge added that the parents did not undergo any pre- and postnatal checks, and Danny had not been vaccinated, indicating potential risks to the child's wellbeing. The father, Tsang, had claimed the department showed no evidence of harm to Danny but the judge disagreed. Tsang plans to appeal the decision to the juvenile court, believing the High Court should not intervene in the decision made by the Juvenile Court, which approved the care order.