John Lee Seeks Election-law Penalty Exemption

Chief Executive-elect John Lee has asked the High Court to spare him from punishment over his failure to submit copies of consent for election advertisements on time to the Electoral Affairs Commission.

According to a writ filed by Lee on Tuesday, he failed three times in April to submit the documents within the time specified when running for the top job, and asked the court to exempt him from punishment.

Offenders face a maximum penalty of a HK$5,000 fine and six months' imprisonment.

Under the Electoral Procedure (Chief Executive Election) Regulation, the court may grant relief for election advertisements if it is satisfied that the act was due to "inadvertence, an accidental miscalculation or any reasonable cause and was not due to bad faith" and "believes it to be just that the act be so excepted".

The secretary for justice has been named respondent in the case.