Hong Kong's High Court has ordered the Buildings Department to reconsider Aggressive Construction's licence renewal application, as the firm is linked to five workplace deaths in three accidents. The judge ruled that officials failed to provide adequate reasons for the refusal. The department plans to study the ruling before considering an appeal.
Hong Kong's High Court ruled on Wednesday in favour of Aggressive Construction's appeal against the Buildings Department's refusal to renew its licence. The company has been linked to five workplace deaths across three fatal industrial accidents between 2020 and 2023. Madam Justice Yvonne Cheng Wai-sum stressed that the court was not determining whether the rejection was justified or if the firm remains suitable for registration, as those decisions rest with the Buildings Department.
The department refused the renewal last year, after the licence expired in April 2023, and removed the company from the government's list of registered contractors due to safety concerns. Aggressive Construction appealed against Director of Buildings Ho Chun-hung and the contractors registration committee.
One of the gravest incidents occurred in September 2022 at an Anderson Road site in Kwun Tong, where a 65-tonne tower crane collapsed, killing three workers and injuring six others.
The Buildings Department stated it would 'actively consider' an appeal after reviewing the judgment with the Department of Justice.
