Dept of Justice hits out at intimidation of judges

The Department of Justice says police will “leave no stone unturned” to catch a person who has been intimidating judges.

In a statement issued late on Tuesday, the department did not give any more detail about the alleged threats.

But the statement was issued on the same day that 24-year-old Tong Ying-kit became the first person to be found guilty of offences under the Beijing-imposed national security law. The law was brought in last year following the social unrest here in 2019.

On Tuesday, a panel of three judges had found Tong guilty of terrorism and inciting secession following a non-jury trial at the High Court.

On July 1 last year, just hours after the national security law came into effect, Tong had ridden his motorbike into police officers in Wan Chai, while flying a flag that read “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our Times.”

Anti-government protests had been taking place at the time. July 1 is a public holiday, marking SAR Establishment Day.

The Department of Justice said, under section 24 of the Crimes Ordinance, anyone found guilty of such threatening behaviour faces five years in prison.

Local media reports say a threatening phone call had been made to the High Court and an official there had contacted the police.