HK Bar challenges Barrister Margaret Ng's misconduct ruling

Barrister Margaret Ng was convicted of taking part in an unauthorised assembly in 2019 and subsequently faced a complaint of professional misconduct.

After a Barrister Disciplinary Tribunal found the complaint not proven, the Hong Kong Bar Association lodged a judicial review against the ruling.

The case opened in court today.

The matter stems from an unauthorised assembly on August 18, 2019.

Ng, a former lawmaker, was convicted along with several others of taking part in an unauthorised assembly, receiving a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

Representing the Bar Association, Senior Counsel Benjamin Yu argued as a prominent barrister, Ng was expected to uphold the rule of law.

However, by defying the police ban and leading the march, she committed a deliberate illegal act that damaged the professional reputation of barristers.

High Court Judge Queeny Au-Yeung questioned whether the outcome of the hearing would be merely academic, given that Ng has already retired.

Yu disagreed, asserting that the conduct in question occurred while Ng was in active practice.

{###}

{HK Bar challenges Barrister Margaret Ng's misconduct ruling}