Hong Kong, Macau student trip to Beijing shows ‘fruitful results’ of patriotic push

The Court of Appeal in Hong Kong will adjudicate a bid from Patrick Lam, a former Stand News acting editor-in-chief, to overturn his 2024 sedition conviction. The case revolves around 17 articles published by Stand News in 2020 and 2021, which the authorities deemed seditious. The trial judge ruled that 11 of these articles were offensive as they incited hatred against the government following the 2019 protests.

However, Lam's legal team argues that only one of the problematic articles was published under his watch. They contend that the trial judge's ruling was incorrect, as the article featured interviews with two former CUHK students who expressed "subjective feelings" during the November 2019 clashes. The lawyers argue that subjective feelings should not be deemed offensive and that media outlets should not be held responsible for publishing claims that are "obviously wrong."

The High Court bench, however, is skeptical of this argument, questioning whether news outlets should publish content that is "rightly wrong" and whether one-sided comments can be deemed seditious. The prosecution emphasizes that subjective feelings must not violate the law's boundaries and that freedom of expression is not absolute.

The case underscores the ongoing debate over press freedom in Hong Kong, particularly in the context of the 2024 Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.