Former Hong Kong Legislative Council member and urologist Dr. Kwok Ka-ki was convicted of conspiracy to subvert state power and sentenced to 50 months in prison. The Hong Kong Medical Council has decided to indefinitely deregister him.
Ming Pao reports that on Thursday, the Hong Kong Medical Council held a disciplinary hearing regarding Kwok Ka-ki. This marks the first disciplinary hearing involving a registered doctor in relation to a national security case.
Kwok Ka-ki was convicted of conspiracy to subvert state power for allegedly organizing and participating in the 2020 Legislative Council “35+ primary election.” The Medical Council's statement pointed out that as a registered doctor, Kwok Ka-ki was found guilty by the High Court on August 27, 2024. The Medical Council, in accordance with the Medical Registration Ordinance, has the authority to impose disciplinary actions.
In a submission dated July 14 last year to the council's Preliminary Investigation Committee, Kwok stated that his conviction is unrelated to clinical practice. He argued that the charges stemmed from political commitments he made as a participant in the 2020 primaries for the Legislative Council, but there were no complaints about his integrity, nor had he been dishonest or negligent in his duties as a doctor.
The hearing panel responded that Kwok’s reply showed a lack of remorse or reflection, and that he failed to recognize the seriousness of violating the National Security Law. In cases of conviction unrelated to medical practice, maintaining public confidence in the medical profession is more important than the consequences of imposing sanctions on an individual doctor.