Leung Kwok-hung wins appeal against jailers who lopped off his locks

Former Hong Kong lawmaker leung Kwok-hung has won his appeal against his jailers who lopped off his lock when he was imprisoned in 2014.

The Court of Final Appeal today in an unanimous ruling held in his favor in his 2014 suit against the Correctional Services Department.

The jailers had refused his right to keep his lengthy hair in tact.

In March 2012, he was convicted in the Magistrates’ Court of charges of criminal damage and disorderly behaviour and sentenced concurrently to serve two months in jail. On appeal, in June 2014, the conviction for one of the charges of criminal damage was quashed and the totality of his sentence was reduced to four weeks.

At Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre, he was required to have his hair (then about 80 cm long) cut in line with a standing order that deals with the length of hair of prisoners, which applies to male and female inmates.

In their ruling, among other things, the judges observed that "less favourable treatment was given to the appellant compared with female prisoners.''