Legal challenge against planned Hong Kong tech hub could be put on hold

A legal challenge against a government decision to approve an environmental impact study for a new Hong Kong innovation and technology (I&T) hub could be suspended as the activist who lodged the judicial review has applied for a stay of proceedings.

Social worker Eddie Tse Sai-kit told the Post on Friday that he had not received a final decision from the Legal Aid Department on whether the cost for the judicial challenge over the San Tin Technopole project in the Northern Metropolis would be covered by the government.

Tse last month applied to stay the proceedings of his judicial review lodged on August 1 until he found out whether the department would grant him legal fee coverage, otherwise he would personally have to pay.

The judiciary has arranged a 30-minute hearing before Mr Justice Russell Coleman on Monday for his submission.

The hearing for the actual judicial review has been scheduled for June 9 next year and is expected to last five days.

Tse said he had filed an application for legal aid on August 14, two days after the court granted his application for a judicial review.