Probing Media's Abuse Claims Would Take Years: Judge

A High Court judge said on Wednesday that any attempt to establish the truth to allegations of police officers attacking, abusing or obstructing journalists in the city would take years being as so many complaints have been made.

Judge Anderson Chow made the comment during a hearing related to a judicial review application filed by the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA).

The association has cited a raft of cases of alleged police misconduct since the anti-government protests began in June, including incidences of journalists being shot with rubber bullets and bean bag rounds, hit by pepper spray, tear gas and water cannon, and being beaten and kicked by officers.

On top of that, the HKJA says reporters, photographers and camera operators have been at the receiving end of abusive and insulting language, had high intensity lights shone at them to interfere with their work, and have been excluded from some protest scenes.

Chow said finding out whether every single complaint made against the police was true may take years, and it would be more practical if the court limits itself to deciding on matters of principle.

An example, he said, would be whether the police have a responsibility to cooperate with the media and if so, to what extent.

The judge also said that some of the complaints refer to issues of police identifying themselves and the court is already dealing with other judicial reviews touching on this. He said this matter could therefore be rolled into a combined hearing in March next year.

Senior Counsel Philip Dykes, representing the HKJA, said he hoped a formal hearing could also be held into complaints relating to freedom of the press.