Raphael Wong Contempt Appeal Shot Down

League of Social Democrats vice-chairman Raphael Wong has lost his appeal against his contempt of court conviction for obstructing court bailiffs during the clearance of a Mong Kok protest site during the 2014 Umbrella Movement.

Wong was sentenced to four and a half months in prison by the High Court in January for his 'active' role in obstructing the bailiffs.

His lawyers argued that the court erred in law in convicting Wong of criminal contempt, but the Court of Appeal ruled against the activist.

The three-judge panel said Wong "did in fact impede and obstruct the bailiff officers", and there's no need to prove what his intentions were.

However, they also said the activist must have been fully aware of what the bailiffs were doing through widespread media reports, and had thus intentionally "interfered with the due administration of justice."

The judges said Wong had "diminished the respect" for the injunction order and "defied the baliff's authority in enforcing it".