2 Sept 2025集誌社#7242
DQ 社工｜曾貼「光時」照 社工局推翻譴責「原判」改釘牌半年 「不足反映涉國安嚴重性」
Since the Social Workers Registration Board was reorganised following amendments last July, 30 social workers have had their registrations cancelled. Statistics compiled by The Collective Newsroom show that 20 of the cases were related to the social movement. In the latest case, a social worker posted an image bearing the words “Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times” on social media in 2020. The “new Social Workers Registration Board” received a complaint and held a disciplinary hearing in January. The social worker deleted the image in 2023. The board’s disciplinary committee recommended a written reprimand and that the matter be recorded, but the board overturned the original decision and instead struck the social worker off the register for six months. It is the first case involving no criminal offence in which a social worker has been struck off the register.
The Social Workers Registration Board said the social worker was alleged to have breached Section 25(1A) of the Social Workers Registration Ordinance, concerning “misconduct or neglect in a professional respect”. It said complaints submitted on the designated form would be handled under disciplinary procedures, but declined to comment on individual cases. Chi Wai (1965) Cheung, chairperson of the Hong Kong Social Workers’ General Union, said he was disappointed by the board’s “revised decision” and asked, “What do we need the committee for?”
The Social Workers Registration Board also announced last month that a social worker who had engaged in sexual activity with a service user on multiple occasions was struck off for three years. The penalty was reduced at the board’s discretion because the social worker did not contest the allegations at the disciplinary inquiry and had expressed remorse and apologised to the complainant. Another social worker was struck off for five years for signing on someone else’s behalf and misappropriating emergency funds intended for a service recipient.
社工註冊局去年七月修例改組後，至今已有 30 名社工被註銷註冊。《集誌社》統計， 20 宗與社運有關，最新個案，涉一名社工，於 2020 年在社交媒體發佈「光時」照。「新社工局」收投訴，一月開紀律聆訊。該社工在 2023 年已刪相，註冊局紀律委員會建議書面譴責及記錄在案，註冊局推翻「原判」，改判「釘牌」半年，成為首宗沒涉刑事，而遭釘牌的個案。
社工註冊局回覆指，該社工涉違《社工註冊條例》第 25 條 1A 的「在專業方面有失當或疏忽行為」，若收到指定表格的投訴，會循違紀程序處理，但不評論個別情況。社會工作者總會主席張志偉對註冊局的「改判」感失望，反問「要個委員會嚟做咩？」
此外，社工註冊局上月也公布，有社工因與服務對象發生多次性行為，因在紀律研訊不抗辯，表達悔意和對投訴人歉意，獲酌情減輕判處被釘牌三年；也有社工因冒簽私吞受助人應急錢，被釘牌五年。
11 Mar 2025法庭線#4622
反修例暴動案至少12被告為社工或準社工 陳虹秀4人辯解到場履責 僅一人無罪
Social worker Chan Hung-sau was charged with rioting in Wan Chai on 31 August 2019. Following a retrial, she was found guilty at the District Court on Tuesday (11th) and remanded in custody the same day.
Courtline’s tally found that at least 12 defendants in anti-extradition bill riot cases were social workers or people studying social work to become social workers. Four of them, including Chan Hung-sau, argued that they had attended in their capacity as social workers to defuse police tensions, “pick up children” and provide emotional support. Only one was acquitted. The person’s supervisor testified that social workers would be assigned to work at the scene, were required to wear their social worker identity cards and could not wear black clothing, which was consistent with the defendant’s clothing when arrested.
The other three, including Chan Hung-sau, were found guilty. A review of the judgments showed that District Court judges inferred from conduct including wearing black clothing and loitering at the scene that the three intended to take part in the riot and assist and encourage protesters to commit acts that breached the peace. One of them was alleged to have acted as a “lookout”.
社工陳虹秀被控 2019 年 8 月 31 日在灣仔暴動一案，陳經重審，周二（11 日）在區院被裁定罪成，即日還押。
《法庭線》統計，至少 12 名反修例暴動案的被告為社工，或正修讀社工系的準社工；其中陳虹秀等 4 人的辯解是憑藉社工身分緩和警方情緒、到場「執仔」、情緒支援，僅一人獲裁無罪，其上司作供確認會指派社工到場工作，要掛社工證、不可穿黑衫，與被告被捕時衣著符合。
其餘 3 人包括陳虹秀則被裁定罪成。翻查判詞，區院法官據穿黑衣、在場徘徊等行為，推論 3 人有意圖參與暴動，協助及鼓勵示威者作出破壞社會安寧行為，其中一人被指充當「哨兵」。
11 Dec 2024獨媒#4346
社總：有復牌社工被要求補交刑事案件資料 停牌期無準則
The Legislative Council passed the Social Workers Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024 at its third reading in July this year. The bill “overhauled” the Social Workers Registration Board by substantially increasing the number of appointed members, and empowered the board to cancel for a specified period the registrations of social workers convicted of criminal offences. Social workers who violate the Hong Kong National Security Law may be removed from the register permanently. Since the new board took office, 11 people have had their social worker registrations temporarily cancelled for periods ranging from three months to three years for various offences, including unlawful assembly and assault with intent to resist arrest. Eight of them were involved in cases related to the anti-extradition bill movement. The Hong Kong Social Workers’ General Union said that some social workers who had previously been suspended and later reinstated were asked by the board to submit additional criminal case information. It also said notification letters issued to some social workers whose registrations had been cancelled did not specify a time limit, raising concerns about “punishment upon punishment, seemingly an endless cycle”. InMedia had approached the board for comment, but had not received a reply by press time.
After the board was “overhauled”, its membership increased from 15 to 27. The number of members appointed by the Chief Executive rose from six to 17, while the number of elected members remained at eight. The Director of Social Welfare or the director’s representative was also added. The overhauled board also introduced an oath-taking requirement, prompting several former elected members to resign.
立法會今年七月三讀通過《2024年社會工作者註冊（修訂）條例草案》，「完善」社工註冊局，大增委任成員，並賦予註冊局可有限期註銷干犯刑事罪行社工的註冊，違反《港區國安法》的社工則可永久除名。新社工註冊局上任至今，有11人因干犯不同罪行，包括非法集結、意圖拒捕而襲擊等，被暫時註銷社工註冊3個月至3年，當中8人涉及反修例案件。香港社會工作者總工會表示，有曾停牌、及後復牌的社工被註冊局要求補交刑事案件資料，而有被註銷牌照的社工，通知信上未有列明時限，憂「重罰再重罰，好似無限輪迴咁。」《獨媒》曾向註冊局查詢，至截稿未獲回覆。
社工註冊局「完善」後，成員人數由15人大增至27人，由行政長官委任的成員由6人增加至17人，民選成員維持8人，另加上社會福利署署長或其代表。「完善」後的註冊局亦加入宣誓要求，多名原民選成員辭任。
4 Sept 2024集誌社#4021
社工釘牌｜據了解至少兩社工涉反修例案不獲續牌 註冊局：至七月底沒因國安罪釘牌
Earlier this year, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han singled out the Social Workers Registration Board for what he called “five sins”, including mentioning that some applicants for social work registration or renewal had previously committed serious offences, prompting concerns about whether this would damage the profession’s reputation. The Social Workers Registration Ordinance was subsequently amended and passed, and the Registration Board was reconstituted. After taking office, the new Board chairperson Herman Chung Shing Hui said the qualifications of social workers who had committed offences endangering national security were being reviewed, but that no one had so far been struck off for this reason.
However, the Board also has the power to refuse new registration or renewal applications for social work licences. The Collective understands that at least two social workers who had been involved in anti-extradition bill cases were recently told by the Board that they were not “fit and proper” persons to be licensed, and ultimately failed to renew their licences.
In response to an enquiry from The Collective, the Board said only that, as of the end of July, no one had been “denied registration” or “struck off” for offences endangering national security. It did not disclose how many renewal applications had been rejected since the new Board took office, the respective reasons for the refusals, or how many social workers had been “denied renewal” because of anti-extradition bill cases, saying only that it was not in a position to provide statistics on individual applications.
社工註冊局今年中被勞福局長孫玉菡點名列舉「五宗罪」，包括提到有申請社工註冊或續期者曾干犯嚴重罪行，令人質疑會否損害業界聲譽。《社工註冊條例》此後經修訂通過、註冊局改組，新任註冊局主席許宗盛上任後曾表示，正審視干犯危害國安罪行的社工資格，暫未有人因此被「釘牌」。
然而，註冊局另有權拒絕社工牌照的新註冊或續期申請。據《集誌社》了解，近日至少有兩名曾涉反修例案件的社工，被局方指出並非能夠發牌的「fit and proper（合適和恰當）」人選，最終未能成功續牌。
註冊局回覆《集誌社》查詢時僅表示，截至七月底，沒有人因危害國安罪行「不獲註冊」或被「釘牌」。至於新班子上任至今，共有多少「續牌」申請被拒、被拒原因分別為何、有多少社工因反修例案件「不獲續牌」等，註冊局沒有交代，只表示，不便就個別申請個案提供統計數字。
2 Sept 2024RFA#4001
投訴警察課將個案轉介精神病輔導機構 投訴者擔心社工淪為撤案工具
After Hong Kong police introduced the “simplified way to resolve complaints” last year for handling “minor complaints”, replacing investigations with mediation by officers of the rank of chief inspector or above, they have recently also begun trying to refer cases involving frequent complainants to social welfare organisations specialising in mental health work. Police said they hoped to help complainants resolve difficulties in their lives, but some social workers feared that intervening in complaint cases could cause the public to lose trust in social welfare organisations and social workers. Some complainants questioned whether the referral service had any mechanism to ensure that social workers would not become tools for the police to evade investigating cases, leaving complaints to disappear without a trace.
繼去年香港警方推出「簡便方式解決投訴」處理「輕微投訴」，由調查改由總督察或以上職級的警員作調解員處理，最近更嘗試將經常投訴的個案，轉介予專責精神病工作的社福機構。警方稱希望替事主解決生活難題，但有社工擔心，一旦介入投訴個案，會失去市民對社福機構與社工的信任。有投訴者就質疑，轉介服務當中欠缺機制，保證社工不會淪為警方推搪查案的工具，投訴或將石沉大海。
20 May 2022明報#2009
政府刊憲列明干犯國安罪行者不可擔任註冊社工
The Government today (20th) gazetted amendments to Schedule 2 of the Social Workers Registration Ordinance, stating that people convicted of national security offences cannot serve, or continue to serve, as registered social workers. The Gazette notice will take effect on 22 July this year. According to a proposal previously submitted by the Government to the Legislative Council, “offences endangering national security” will be included in Schedule 2. Such offences include, but are not limited to, the four offences under the Hong Kong National Security Law: secession, subversion of State power, terrorism, and collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security; as well as the offences of treason and sedition under the Crimes Ordinance.
政府今日（20日）刊修訂《社會工作者註冊條例》附表2，曾被裁定干犯國家安全罪行者，不能擔任或不能繼續擔任註冊社會工作者，憲報公告於今年7月22日起實施。根據政府早前向立法會提交文件建議，將「危害國家安全的罪行」納入「附表 2」，危害國家安全罪行包括但不限於《香港國安法》下的四項罪行，即「分裂國家」、「顛覆國家政權」、「恐怖活動」及「勾結外國或者境外勢力危害國家安全」）及《刑事罪行條例》下的「叛逆」及「煽動」罪行。
8 Sept 2021立場新聞#1552
傳禁國安法定罪者任社工 社總張志偉料不會諮詢 「國安法咁凌駕性嘅法律」
The Government plans to bar people convicted under the National Security Law from working as social workers or serving as union committee members, and could begin amending the legislation as early as this year.
政府擬限制國安法定罪者不能任社工及工會理事，最快於今年展開修例。
16 Dec 2020HKFP#1076
Hong Kong social worker cleared of obstructing police during 2019 demo
Social worker Hui Lai-ming was acquitted of deliberately obstructing police on 29 September 2019, with the magistrate ruling that the police witness was “unreliable”.
Social worker Hui Lai-ming is acquitted of deliberately obstructing police on 29 Sep 2019, with the magistrate ruling the police witness "unreliable".
10 Dec 2020立場新聞#1044
社總總幹事許麗明原被控襲警 開審前改控阻差辦公 辯方：片證無襲警，控方無所不用其極
Clashes broke out during the “Global Anti-Totalitarianism Rally” on 29 September last year. The secretary-general of the Social Workers’ General Union, Lai Ming (1968) Hui, was originally accused of assaulting Police Constable A outside Pacific Place in Admiralty that day. The case opened today (the 10th) at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts. However, at the start of the hearing, the prosecution applied to amend the charge to obstructing a police officer in the execution of duty. The defence said the prosecution was “stopping at nothing” and disclosed that it had earlier submitted video footage clearly showing that the defendant had not assaulted the officer. It criticised the prosecution for choosing to amend the charge rather than withdraw it, saying that its “prosecutorial mindset and method are inappropriate”. After hearing submissions, the magistrate approved the amendment.
去年 9 月 29 日「全球反極權大遊行」引發衝突，社工總工會總幹事許麗明，原本被指在當日金鐘太古廣場外襲擊警員 A ，案件今日（10日）在西九龍裁判法院開審。惟甫開庭，控方申請修改控罪，改控許阻差辦公。辯方直斥控方「無所不用其極」，並透露早前向控方提交影片，清楚顯示許無襲警，但控方選擇修改控罪而非撤控，批評其「檢控的心態同方法唔恰當」。裁判官聽取陳詞後，批准修改控罪。
Translations are supplied by the source workbook. Consult the original reporting for context.
