Amina Bokhary controversy

Who is Amina Bokhary controversy?

The Amina Bokhary controversy occurred in Hong Kong in 2010 involving the assault conviction of a wealthy woman from a well-connected political family. Amina Mariam Bokhary, 32, received a non-custodial sentence and a one-year driving ban following an incident in the aftermath of a road traffic accident when she struck several police officers. As she had committed similar offences in 2001 and 2008, her resulting probation was seen by some commentators as too lenient.

The perceived leniency in her sentence provoked an uproar in Hong Kong for alleged preferential treatment. In particular, the presiding judge caused an uproar when he said in his judgment that Bokhary had "a unblemished background and was born into a good family with caring parents [and] an outstanding academic record". The comment highlighted the public perception of widening inequality and increasing disparities in the balance of political power between different social classes in Hong Kong. The judge came under pressure to reconsider his sentencing, but he declined to amend it upon review. Pundits also blamed the police for charging her with an offence carrying a lesser penalty; the Department of Justice was forced to appeal her sentence.