Lawrence Lau Wai-chung

Political Prisoner

Lawrence Lau Wai-Chung 劉偉聰

Age at Arrest: 53

Former member, District Council

Lawrence Lau Wai-chung graduated from the University of Hong Kong in 1993. Prior to becoming a lawyer in 1995, Lau joined the Hong Kong Police Force and was the assistant of Allen Lee Peng-fei, former chairman of the Liberal Party.

In 2019, Lau was elected to be the District Councillor representing the Sham Shui Po constituency. Additionally, Lau provided legal assistance to many young people who were arrested during the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests in 2019 and 2020. In an interview with The Reporter, Lau said, “Democracy blazes forth during the anti-extradition bill protests. The people will stand for their conscience.”

Lau was arrested in January 2021 for his participation in the “35+” unofficial primary elections in July 2020. (Photo: Lawrence Lau’s Facebook page)

Charge, incident & sentence:

Charge: Conspiracy to commit subversion under the National Security Law
Incident: Organising and participating in unofficial primary elections for the Hong Kong Legislative Council in July 2020
Sentencing: Acquitted in May 2024