Hong Kong lawmaker Judy Chan Kapui has been fined HK$2,000 and suspended from driving for one month after pleading guilty to careless driving in Wan Chai earlier this year. The Eastern Court imposed the penalties on Monday. Chan expressed deep regret for affecting other road users.
The Eastern Court in Hong Kong fined 45-year-old lawmaker Judy Chan Kapui HK$2,000 (US$256) on Monday for driving on the wrong side of a road in Wan Chai earlier this year. The court also suspended her driving privileges for one month after she pleaded guilty to careless driving.
The incident occurred near Jaffe Road and the Everbright Centre. "I deeply regret that my careless driving affected other road users," Chan told presiding magistrate David Ko Wai-hung, adding that she had stopped driving and would accept any legal consequences.
Ko noted that Chan, who obtained her license in 2004, has 22 years of driving experience and had received fixed penalties for minor traffic offenses on eight previous occasions—a record that "wasn’t too bad." However, he warned that the current offense was serious. "You drove in the wrong direction, which was something you did after careful consideration," the magistrate said. "I don’t care if you were in a hurry or what, but it was not done out of a whim."
Chan, a member of the New People's Party and the Legislative Council, highlighted the importance of road safety for all drivers.