Lawmaker Judy Chan gets $2,000 fine and one-month ban for careless driving

New People’s Party lawmaker Judy Chan Kapui was fined HK$2,000 and banned from driving for one month on Monday after pleading guilty to a charge of careless driving related to a wrong-lane driving incident in Wanchai earlier this year.

Chan appeared at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts to face the charge after she was accused of driving against traffic along Jaffe Road in January. She had earlier admitted involvement in the incident and issued several public apologies.

According to the charge, Chan was reported to have driven a private car carelessly on January 23, 2026, on Fleming Road (northbound) near Jaffe Road in Wanchai.

Chan arrived at court wearing a beige coat and represented herself during the hearing. Before proceedings began, she sat in the front row of the public gallery while discussing procedures with the prosecution.

In mitigation, Chan told the court that she deeply regretted the impact the incident may have caused to other road users. She said she had not driven since the incident and pledged not to repeat the mistake, adding that she was willing to accept any legal consequences.

Magistrate Ko Wai-hung noted that Chan had no previous criminal or traffic convictions, and that her driving record showed only eight fixed penalty tickets over 22 years of driving experience, which he said was “not too bad.”

However, the magistrate stressed that the circumstances of the case were serious as it involved driving against the flow of traffic. He added that the act appeared to have been made after consideration rather than as a sudden reaction.

Chan was ultimately sentenced to a HK$2,000 fine and a one-month driving disqualification.

Speaking to reporters outside the court, Chan thanked the public for their concern and again apologized for the incident. She said she hoped the court’s ruling would provide an explanation and closure regarding the matter.

Chan added that although the court did not require her to attend a driving improvement course, she had already enrolled in one on her own initiative and would complete it before driving again.

She said Hong Kong’s public transportation system is highly efficient and that she has been relying on it for travel recently, adding that she planned to take the MTR after leaving the court.

Regarding a possible investigation by the Legislative Council’s monitoring committee, Chan said it would not be appropriate for her to comment. She confirmed that she had earlier received a verbal warning from Legislative Council President Starry Lee Wai-king and that any further disciplinary action would be decided by the committee.

Chan also said she had received messages of concern and encouragement from members of the public and pledged to continue performing her duties as a legislator in response to the support.

When asked to comment on the magistrate’s remark that the wrong-lane driving appeared to have been a deliberate decision, Chan said the incident had been a careless judgment made at the moment. She added that she had already told the court she was prepared to bear any legal consequences.