Hong Kong’s Court of Appeal on 3 September 2026 dismissed the conviction appeals of five trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund and upheld the fines imposed at trial. The ruling found that the fund was a society regulated by the Societies Ordinance.
The five trustees are Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, Audrey Eu Yuet-mee, Ho Hoi-leung, Denise Ho Wan-see and Hui Po-keung. Each was fined HK$4,000 in 2022. Fund secretary Shih Sing-wai, who did not appeal, was fined HK$2,500.
The trustees had argued that the fund did not fall within the ordinance’s definition of a society and that the legal meaning of the term was uncertain. The appeal court rejected that argument, saying the law provided a clear scope for the definition.
The court said the fund held regular meetings, dealt with its affairs, interacted with the public and operated on a lasting and substantive basis. These features meant it fell within the statutory definition of a society.
The judgment said the fund was not simply money held under a trust. It was jointly operated by the appellants under the trust deed, with the parties holding rights and assuming obligations. The court found that it became a society on 28 June 2019, when the trustees signed the deed, and that they managed it, made decisions and issued instructions in a role similar to a management committee or governing body.
The appeal court ruled that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the fund was a society, that no application for registration or exemption had been made within one month of its formation, and that the five appellants were office-bearers of the society.
Speaking outside court, Eu said the five would consult their legal team and apply together for leave to appeal to the Court of Final Appeal, arguing that the correct interpretation of “society” under the Societies Ordinance had wide implications and required clarification. The supplied material does not confirm that a formal application has been filed or accepted.