HK judge: Uber’s operations ‘well within mischief’ covered by law, drivers did indeed violate permit regulations

Explaining court’s refusal to overturn convictions of 24 drivers, judge Joseph Fok argues decades-old laws governing carriage of passengers do apply to Uber’s model. Fok reasons Uber drivers still violated statute, even if they ‘have no separate agreement with the passengers being carried’. — SCMP

Hong Kong’s top court has ruled that decades-old prohibitions on the unlicensed carriage of passengers for hire or reward must cover Uber drivers because their conduct was “well within the mischief” targeted by the law.

The Court of Final Appeal on Wednesday explained why its panel of five judges had unanimously dismissed the unprecedented challenge mounted by 24 Uber drivers seeking to quash their 2018 convictions under the law.