Hong Kong Case Law: Decisions & Judgments | LexChat

Hong Kong Case Law

Libel

  • 7 Jan 2026

    PET LAND AND ANOTHER v. CHOW PO CHU AND ANOTHER

    Citation
    [2026] HKDC 56
    Court
    District Court
    Case number
    DCCJ4216/2022

    The court found on the balance of probabilities that the 2nd Defendant alone published the impugned material; the statements (post and Comments 1-3) were defamatory; the 2nd Defendant knew the veterinary diagnosis and causation were uncertain and nonetheless published assertions of fact that bathing caused aspiration pneumonia, thereby demonstrating malice which defeats qualified privilege and renders malicious falsehood established; fair comment similarly fails where statements were not based on true or privileged facts; Comment 4 was not published with malice and was privileged; consequenti…

  • 6 Nov 2025

    THE INCORPORATED OWNERS OF ON NING GARDEN v. WONG MO CHI

    Citation
    [2025] HKDC 1884
    Court
    District Court
    Case number
    DCCJ3473/2022

    Having accepted the plaintiff's evidence on publication, gravity and repetition and having regard to limited demonstrable digital reach, the defendant's persistent refusal to retract and the serious imputations to the plaintiff's integrity, the appropriate global award of general damages is HK$500,000 inclusive of any pre-judgment interest; post-judgment interest at the judgment rate and costs after 11 September 2023 to be paid by the defendant and taxed if not agreed.

  • 23 Nov 2023

    CHOI LEE LEE v. MOK PUI YUK

    Citation
    [2023] HKDC 1633
    Court
    District Court
    Case number
    DCCJ1652/2023

    Because the defendant failed to file a defence and thus impliedly admitted the pleaded facts, the court found the words published in the WhatsApp audio messages to be defamatory, to refer to the plaintiff, and to have been published to a substantial audience; the publications constituted libel, justifying default judgment, injunctive relief and removal orders, while an apology order was refused as no exceptional circumstances justified imposing one against the defendant; damages to be assessed and costs ordered on a party and party basis.

  • 11 Sept 2023

    THE INCORPORATED OWNERS OF ON NING GARDEN v. WONG MO CHI

    Citation
    [2023] HKDC 1276
    Court
    District Court
    Case number
    DCCJ3473/2022

    The court held that IO has locus standi at common law to sue for defamation; the Statement of Claim sufficiently pleaded publication, reference to IO and defamatory meanings; no defence was filed so implied admission entitled IO to default judgment; on the pleaded facts there was a real prospect of repetition justifying an injunction; damages to be assessed and costs ordered nisi.

  • 19 May 2023

    CHU FUNG CHEE v. APPLE DAILY LTD AND OTHERS

    Citation
    [2023] HKCFI 1318
    Court
    Court of First Instance
    Case number
    HCA888/2021

    Extension of time was granted under Order 3 r 5 RHC because defendants showed compelling reasons (law enforcement disruption, management vacuum and appointment of Provisional Liquidators) and an arguable defence that the words 'former Barrister' are not defamatory; the plaintiff's amendment to convert the default judgment summons into a summary judgment was dismissed because Order 14 summary procedure is unavailable for libel claims and the supporting affidavit did not contain the mandatory statement of belief that there is no defence; consequentially the default judgment summons was dismisse…

  • 4 May 2021

    PANG SIU WING alias PANG WING v. CHUNGSHAN COMMERCIAL ASSOCIATION, HONG KONG

    Citation
    [2021] HKCFI 1250
    Court
    Court of First Instance
    Case number
    HCA820/2013

    The court found the defendant failed to prove that the plaintiff acted dishonestly or wilfully committed gross misconduct; contemporaneous documents and witness evidence did not support the allegation of deliberate falsity; accordingly the threshold under Article 7 was not met and the expulsion was unjustified.

  • 29 Mar 2021

    INDEPENDENT COMMENTATORS ASSOCIATION LTD v. JOINT PUBLISHING (HK) CO LTD AND ANOTHER

    Citation
    [2021] HKCFI 743
    Court
    Court of First Instance
    Case number
    HCA1438/2015

    The Court held the Words, read in context of the Book, bore the natural meaning that the Plaintiff was funded by NED and had biased, selective reporting favoring protesters; those meanings are defamatory. Qualified privilege did not apply because no reciprocity of duty/interest was shown. The Reynolds defence failed because the Defendants did not take responsible steps to verify the allegations or seek the Plaintiff’s comment. Remedies: general damages of HK$250,000 awarded, injunction restraining further publication of the Words in the Schedule, and costs on the District Court scale with cer…

  • 29 Apr 2020

    YUEN MUI FONG v. LO KUT CHIE ALAN

    Citation
    [2020] HKCFI 652
    Court
    Court of First Instance
    Case number
    HCA711/2018

    Master accepted the plaintiff's uncontradicted viva voce and documentary evidence, found harassment and defamatory publications proved, held aggravated damages appropriate for harassment due to continued persecuting conduct despite injunctions, assessed HK$180,000 as fair compensation for harassment (including aggravated element) and HK$100,000 for defamation, declined separate aggravated damages for defamation and declined separate pre-judgment interest because delay was reflected in the awards.

  • 20 Mar 2020

    CHAN HARRY HUNG-HAY v. YIP SUI PING

    Citation
    [2020] HKCFI 366
    Court
    Court of First Instance
    Case number
    HCA2149/2015

    Court accepted plaintiff's unchallenged evidence of publication to MC members and some residents, found the defamatory words impugned plaintiff's mental fitness though not his honesty, and awarded compensatory general damages of HK$80,000 and aggravated damages of HK$20,000 because defendant persisted in asserting truth and refused to apologise; costs after 13 Sept 2017 to be paid by defendant taxed on District Court scale; no pre-judgment interest awarded; post-judgment interest at judgment rate awarded.

  • 19 Dec 2019

    NG WOON KING v. CHENG KAM WAH AND ANOTHER

    Citation
    [2019] HKDC 1662
    Court
    District Court
    Case number
    DCCJ2235/2017

    The defendants published the letters to a third party (the tenant) which, read in context, imputed that the plaintiff had acted illegally in relation to the Tenancy Agreement; the imputation was defamatory; justification and fair comment failed on the facts; occasion of publication was prima facie privileged but privilege was defeated by malice because defendants did not believe the imputations and used the letters to pressure the plaintiff to sell; defendants therefore liable in libel and plaintiff awarded HKD 70,000 general and HKD 50,000 aggravated damages plus interest and costs.