2nd November 2026 – (Hong Kong) The Court of Final Appeal’s Appeal Committee has refused actor Gregory Wong Chung-yiu leave to challenge his conviction and six-year-two-month jail term for rioting over the storming of the Legislative Council chamber on 1st July 2019, closing his last avenue of appeal.
Wong and others were found to have entered the LegCo conference hall that day. He was convicted after trial of rioting and related offences and jailed for six years and two months. He later appealed against both conviction and sentence; the Court of Appeal dismissed those challenges in March this year.
He then sought leave to appeal to the Court of Final Appeal under case FAMC 28/2026. Last Friday, 30th October, the Appeal Committee issued a written order stating that he had failed to put forward reasonably arguable grounds and refused leave. The panel comprised permanent judges Roberto Ribeiro and Johnson Lam and non-permanent judge Patrick Chan. Having considered the application and written submissions, it found no basis to grant leave, so the District Court outcome and the Court of Appeal ruling stand.
The prosecution originally involved 14 defendants. Eight pleaded guilty to rioting, including Lo Lok-sang, Amy Pat Wai-fan, Althea Suen, Poon Ho-chiu, Shum Keng-lok, Ventus Lau Wing-hong, Owen Chow Ka-shing and Fan Chun-man. Wong and three others were convicted after trial. Some defendants also faced counts of entering or remaining in the chamber area, or criminal damage. The 12 people convicted of rioting received prison terms ranging from just over 54 months to 82 months.
Wong Ka-ho and Ma Kai-chung were acquitted of rioting but convicted of entering or remaining in the chamber precinct, and were fined HK$1,500 and HK$1,000 respectively. Wong and six co-defendants took their cases to the Court of Appeal; all seven appeals were dismissed.
