19/09/2019 HCMP2801/2015 THE UNIVERSITY 76. OF HONG KONG v. HONG KONG COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING CO LTD AND ANOTHER In around February 2014, the University set up a search committee to identify appropriate candidates for the position of the Vice-President Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic Staffing & Resources). & On 26 November 2014, the newspaper Wen Wei Po revealed that Prof Johannes Chan, former Dean of the Faculty of Law of the University, had been recommended by the search committee for the post. Wen Wei Po criticised Prof Chan and questioned whether he was a suitable candidate having regard to his alleged ties with a co-founder of the Occupy Central campaign who was also a member of the Faculty of Law. There were further subsequent articles in Wen Wei Po and Ta Kung Po criticising Prof Chan, one of which, citing from a leaked University Grants Commission report, stated that his academic record on research was not up to international standards when he was Dean of the law school. 77. In February 2015, the newspapers Ming Pao and Apple Daily published articles suggesting that senior government officials had lobbied certain members of the Council not to appoint Prof Chan to the post. Meanwhile the Council had not made a decision on the Appointment Issue. 78. On 30 June 2015, the Council resolved to postpone its decision on the Appointment Issue. Apple Daily reported the Chairman as telling the press afterwards that it was appropriate to wait for the appointment of the new Provost before deciding on the Appointment Issue. At a meeting held on 28 July 2015, the Council again decided to postpone the Appointment Issue. On that occasion, a number of people including certain students of the University stormed into the Senate Room, where the Council was meeting, to protest against the Council’s decision. Prof CM Lo, one of the members of the Council, fell down during the chaotic incident and suffered minor injury. 79. The next meeting was held on 25 August 2015 and was moved to the Hong Kong Jockey Club Building for Interdisciplinary Research on Sassoon Road. The Council resolved to decide the Appointment Issue at its next meeting, ie the 29 September 2015 Meeting. https: //legalref.judiciary.hk/Irs/common/ju/ju_frame.jsp? DIS=101619&currpage=T 26/33