The High Court of Hong Kong refused the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) application for an injunction to prohibit “Glory to Hong Kong” on Friday. “Glory to Hong Kong” is a song associated with Hong Kong’s 2019 anti-government protests, which the government asserted insulted the Chinese national anthem.

In considering the effectiveness and necessity of granting the injunction, High Court Judge Anthony Chan held that an injunction against the song would potentially be ineffective since Hong Kong already had “a robust criminal regime” in place. Chan also stated that the injunction may create chilling effects and undermine freedom of speech. Chan wrote, “Innocent people might be discouraged from legitimate activities involving the song for fear of the severe consequences of breaching the injunction.”

On June 5, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok filed an application with the court to prohibit online publication or distribution of “Glory to Hong Kong.” The DOJ had previously expressed that broadcasting the song potentially violates laws in Hong Kong, such as the National Security Law and the Crimes Ordinance. The government of Hong Kong also asserted that the song insults the Chinese national anthem since it had been mistaken as Hong Kong’s national anthem.

Previously on July 20, Hong Kong’s Eastern Magistrates’ Courts sentenced Cheng Wing-chun to three months prison. He was convicted under the National Anthem Ordinance for purportedly insulting the Chinese national anthem by replacing it with “Glory to Hong Kong” in a video.