Apple Daily told to post, publish restraining orders
THOMAS CHANthomas.chan@scmp.com
PUBLISHED : Saturday, 18 October, 2014, 3:55am
UPDATED : Saturday, 18 October, 2014, 3:55am
Police officers look on as people gather outside the printing facility of Next Media Ltd, publisher of the Apple Daily newspaper, in Tseung Kwan O. Photo: Bloomberg
Jimmy Lai Chee-ying's Apple Daily newspaper can post court orders at the entrances to its headquarters and advertise them in newspapers to restrain protesters from blocking its operations, a court ruled yesterday.
The Chinese-language daily made the application after anti-Occupy Central protesters allegedly tore up copies of an injunction granted by Deputy High Court Judge Mr Justice Kent Yee Kai-siu and refused to take them when they were being distributed by lawyers and staff outside the Next Media offices in Tseung Kwan O on Tuesday night.
High Court Judge Mr Justice Anderson Chow Ka-ming said yesterday that instead of distributing the order to protesters, Apple could fix the set of documents - including the injunction order and written summons - at conspicuous places at the entrances and exits to the complex.
The company should also advertise the injunction in its own and another Chinese-language newspaper, the judge said.
In oral submissions, Patrick Siu, counsel forApple Daily, said more than 100 protesters had massed outside the headquarters nightly since October 11. "The plaintiff can't identify the protesters by name," Siu said. "They refused to identify themselves."
He said if protesters breached the order, Apple Daily could enforce it by way of contempt proceedings with the help of police. A court hearing is set for October 31 to discuss continuation of the injunction. Siu said the protesters should seek legal advice before responding to Apple Daily's requests. The protesters had no legal representatives in court.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1618745/apple-daily-told-post-publish-restraining-orders
