In the opinion of Stephen Wong Kai-yi, privacy commissioner for personal data of Hong Kong, the High Court's granting of an interim injunction to protect against disclosure of personal data of police officers and their family members was the right decision.

On Oct 25, Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah and Police Commissioner Stephen Lo Wai-chung jointly applied to the High Court for the injunction. Valid through Friday, the court order is expected to ease the pressure and danger on police officers who have borne the brunt of antagonism of local protesters.

Two factors are taken into consideration when granting an injunction, Wong said.

The first is whether the injunction is needed to deal with a serious issue. The second weighs the principle of balance versus convenience, meaning that if the injunction is not granted, the present situation continues but that it will not be in the public's interest.

"The police is the single biggest category of victims of doxxing. If the speedy relief of an injunction order is not granted, their safety and public order in the community as a whole will be at risk, while violence will continue in the streets of Hong Kong," Wong said.

In the absence of an injunction, there is the privacy ordinance to deal with privacy offenses and other laws to cope with such crimes as criminal intimidation, blackmail and defamation, Wong said.

"As police and the community are facing big challenges and difficulties, the benefit of an additional injunction order is a useful legal means that does not conflict with other ordinances and exhaust other resources," he said.

joseph@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 11/06/2019 page4)