A Hong Kong lawmaker who launched criminal proceedings against a fellow Legislative Council member he accused of assault has hit a roadblock as the Department of Justice applied to delay the trial by six weeks.

People Power Chairperson Raymond Chan launched a private prosecution against pro-Beijing lawmaker Kwok Wai-keung after the latter pulled Chan’s shirt collar and dragged him to the ground during a chaotic LegCo meeting on May 8 over a controversial national anthem law.

The law, which was signed into effect in June, could put someone in jail for publicly insulting the national anthem. It has been the subject of much contention in Hong Kong, which has been gripped by fears of eroding freedoms.

A court summons for the case was first issued in June but was delayed to Sept. 14. Chan’s case may be delayed for a second time as the city’s public prosecutors issued a notification on Friday to request for another six-week postponement.

Under Hong Kong laws, private criminal cases brought about by residents may be aborted by authorities or taken over at any time at their discretion. In the latest postponement request, authorities said they “needed more time” to decide whether or not to intervene in the case.

Chan said he had yet to receive information on whether the postponement application was accepted by the court, but he told Apple Daily that he hoped the court could hear the case as scheduled since he worried that authorities were seeking extra time so they could turn the case against him.

“There is nothing they won’t do,” Chan said.

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