Police guard outside the high court in Hong Kong on Aug 27, 2021. (ISAAC LAWRENCE / AFP)

HONG KONG - The number of persons prosecuted for resisting or obstructing public officers in Hong Kong has increased over the last three years, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said Wednesday.

Answering a query at the Legislative Council, Mak said the number of persons prosecuted for the offense under the Summary Offences Ordinance stood at 49 in 2019 and 46 in 2020 before going up to 58 last year.

Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said number of persons convicted for the crime also rose from 41 in 2019, 30 in 2020 to 43 in 2021. Nine of those convicted in 2019 were sent to prison, four in 2020, and 14 last year

“Based on the actual circumstances of each case, the police may institute prosecutions against persons who have insulted others or public officers on duty,” Mak said.

The number of persons convicted for the crime rose from 41 in 2019, 30 in 2020 to 43 in 2021. Nine of those convicted in 2019 were sent to prison, four in 2020, and 14 last year, she added.

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As mentioned in the Policy Address in October, the government is reviewing existing legislation to ensure that, in comprehensively safeguarding national security, laws are available to bring offenders to account.

Mak said issues which need to be addressed include combating fake news, hate speech and insults to public officers.

The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau has commissioned a consultancy to study legislation enacted in overseas jurisdictions for regulating disinformation and their law enforcement experience, she said.

Once the study has been concluded, the government will report to the LegCo its proposed action plan.

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“Furthermore, for the purpose of crime prevention and detection, the police has been conducting ‘cyber patrols’ from time to time to search for relevant information and crime-related information via online public platforms and taking corresponding investigation, arrest and prosecution actions,” Mak said.