Hong Kong’s Court of First Instance has invalidated two provisions in the Public Conveniences (Conduct and Behaviour) Regulations that made it a criminal offence for a person to use a public toilet not matching the sex listed on their identity card. Judge Russell Coleman ruled the measures unconstitutional after a challenge by a transgender man, identified only as “K,” who argued the restrictions violated his rights to equality, privacy and freedom from discrimination. Breaching the rules had carried a penalty of up to HK$2,000 (US$255). Coleman suspended the decision for 12 months to give the government time to amend the regulations or propose alternative arrangements, stating that questions about defining male and female users are best resolved through legislation. The judgment builds on a February 2023 Court of Final Appeal decision that found it unlawful to require full gender-affirmation surgery before a transgender person could change the gender marker on their Hong Kong identity card.