Court of Appeal to rule on convictions of five former 612 Fund trustees

The Court of Appeal will hand down its judgment on Thursday in an appeal by five former trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund against their convictions for failing to register the fund as a society.

The fund was established during the 2019 protests to provide financial assistance, including legal and medical support, to people arrested, injured or otherwise affected by the unrest.

The five appellants are Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, barrister and former lawmaker Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, former legislator Cyd Ho Sau-lan, Cantopop singer Denise Ho Wan-see and cultural studies scholar Hui Po-keung.

They, together with former fund secretary Sze Ching-wee, were convicted in November 2022 of failing to apply for registration or exemption from registration of the fund as a society within the specified period.

The five trustees were each fined HK$4,000, while Sze was fined HK$2,500. Sze did not appeal against his conviction.

During the appeal hearing last December, the five trustees argued that the fund did not have the characteristics required to fall within the definition of a “society” under the Societies Ordinance, including an organizational structure and mutual rights and obligations among its members.

The prosecution maintained that the fund constituted a society within the meaning of the ordinance.

The summons alleged that between July 16, 2019, and October 31, 2021, the defendants, as office-bearers of a local society known as the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, failed to apply for registration or exemption from registration within the specified time as required under Section 5(1) of the Societies Ordinance.

The Court of Appeal reserved judgment after hearing submissions from both sides in December 2025.

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