HK Court rejects bid to reinstate mask ban during appeal

A protester wearing a Guy Fawkes mask at the Peaceful Human Rights Day march in the district of Causeway Bay in Hong Kong, China on Sunday (Dec 8). - Reuters

HONG KONG: A Hong Kong Appeals Court rejected the government’s request to temporarily extend a controversial mask ban, despite China’s criticism of a lower court decision declaring the measure unconstitutional last month.

The government failed to convince the Court of Appeal of the need to reinstate the ban against protesters wearing masks before hearings on the case proceed next month, Justices Jeremy Poon and Johnson Lam wrote in a decision handed down Tuesday (Dec 10). The judges said that the ruling shouldn’t be seen as indicating the result of the appeal, which will be heard Jan 9-10.