Hong Kong court allows lawmakers to take office

Sixtus Leung and Yau Wai-ching attended the hearing on Tuesday evening local time

Hong Kong's government has failed to block two pro-independence lawmakers from taking their oaths in a last-ditch legal challenge.

Judge Thomas Au of the High Court rejected a request for their swearing-in to be delayed for a judicial review.

Yau Wai-ching and Sixtus Leung of the Youngspiration party had their oaths invalidated last week after mounting an anti-China protest in the legislature.

The pair slammed the court hearing as an abuse of the legal system.

They are expected to re-take their oaths tomorrow in the Legislative Council (LegCo) as scheduled.

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Several pro-democracy lawmakers caused chaos in the LegCo last week by using their oath-taking to stage boisterous protests against China.

Five lawmakers in total need to re-take their oaths, the South China Morning Post reports.

Mr Leung and Ms Yau swore while saying their oaths and mispronounced "China".

Several pro-democracy candidates won LegCo seats in elections last month.

Many had played key roles in the 2014 "Umbrella protests" against growing Chinese influence in Hong Kong's politics.