HK court rejects disqualified legislators-elect's final appeal

Hong Kong's Court of Appeal Monday rejected two disqualified legislators-elect's application for leave to appeal over the case of their disqualification.

The two disqualified legislators-elect, Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-ching, intended to take the case to the Court of Final Appeal to seek reinstatement.

The judge of the appeal court said that the pair's grounds were unarguable. And based on the Basic Law and "One Country, Two Systems", Hong Kong courts have the responsibility to comply with the interpretation of the Basic Law issued by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the top legislature of the country.

Leung and Yau used derogatory language insulting the country and nation when taking their oaths at a swearing-in ceremony of the new Legislative Council (LegCo) on Oct. 12, 2016.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government filed a judicial review against the decision by the LegCo president to give the pair a second chance to be sworn in.

The incident also prompted the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress to issue an interpretation of Article 104 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong SAR on Nov. 7, 2016, clarifying the implications and requirements of oath-taking by Hong Kong legislators-elect.

The pair was disqualified by the court on Nov. 15, 2016; their appeal was rejected on Nov. 30, 2016.