Acquittal with costs for a foreign domestic helper charged in an illegal dental practice case

Our client was acquitted at the Shatin Magistrates' Courts, with costs, after the magistrate ruled midway through the trial that she had no case to answer. She was released immediately.

She was one of six Filipina domestic workers arrested by the Immigration Department on suspicion of running an unlicensed dental clinic in a flat in Sham Shui Po, and was charged with aiding and abetting a breach of condition of stay.

Following our counsel's cross-examination of the Immigration Officer who oversaw the operation, the officer accepted that our client had been poorly treated during her detention. The prosecution then offered no further evidence against her, and Magistrate Pang Leung-ting ruled that she had no case to answer.

The conduct of the operation

During the trial our defence team challenged a number of irregularities in the arrest, including that the raid was conducted without a search warrant; that officers did not wear the departmental vests that would have identified them; that suspects were questioned without an interpreter; that defendants were handcuffed although there was no sign of resistance; and that the defendant was photographed and filmed repeatedly for media purposes.

Counsel

We are grateful for the work of counsel, Mr Azan Marwah and Mr Nicklaus Pannu-Yuon, instructed by Ms Clara Chok of this firm.

Press coverage

Hong Kong Free Press, 5 August 2026, 2 domestic workers acquitted of illegal dentistry as Hong Kong authorities accused of ‘staging a show’ during arrests

The Witness, 6外傭被控無牌經營牙醫診所等　入境處執法拍片手法

The SUN Hong Kong, 2 Filipina DHs acquitted of illegal dentistry

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