Media coverage restriction of the case was lifted yesterday by national security judge and acting chief magistrate Peter Law Tak-chuen after a High Court ruling.

Tai, a cofounder of the Occupy Central movement, and Wong, a former student leader, are among 47 activists charged with conspiracy to subvert state powers under the national security law in February 2021.

Through the primary election, the pro-democracy camp wanted to determine candidates to run in the Legco election, and the elected candidates would indiscriminately reject government bills and budgets to paralyze the government. More than 600,000 Hongkongers cast ballots in the primary election.

The defendants who pleaded guilty included Tai, 58; Wong, 25; Au Nok-hin, 35; Andrew Chiu Ka-yin, 37; Ben Chung Kam-lun, 33; Tiffany Yuen Ka-wai, 28; Fergus Leung Fong-wai, 25; Andy Chui Chi-kin, 55; Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit, 35; Claudia Mo Man-ching, 65; Frankie Fung Tat-chun, 27; Nathan Lau Chak-fung, 25; and Jeremy Jansen Tam Man-ho, 47.

Others were Kinda Li Ka-tat, 31; Tam Tak-chi, 49; Wu Chi-wai, 59; Eddie Chu Hoi-dick, 44; Sam Cheung Ho-sum, 29; Prince Wong Ji-yuet, 24; Andrew Wan Siu-kin, 53; Kwok Ka-ki, 61; Carol Ng Man-yee, 51; Roy Tam Hoi-pong, 42; Ventus Lau Wing-hong, 28; Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, 41; Gary Fan Kwok-wai, 55; Hendrick Lui Chi-hang, 40; Lester Shum O-fai, 29; and Henry Wong Pak-yu, 31.

They will appear in High Court in groups from September 1 to 8, on September 28 and from November 1 to 4 for case management hearings, which are expected to last an hour.

The other 18 defendants have pleaded not guilty and will stand trial before a three-judge panel in High Court after Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok ordered there would be no jury for the case as it involved "foreign factors."

They included Cheng Tat-hung, 33; Clarisse Yeung Suet-ying, 35; Michael Pang Cheuk-kei, 28; Kalvin Ho Kai-ming, 33; Lawrence Lau Wai-chung, 54; Helena Wong Pik-wan, 63; Sze Tak-loy, 40; Gwyneth Ho Kwai-lam, 31; and Raymond Chan Chi-chuen, 50.

Others are Owen Chow Ka-shing, 25; Lam Cheuk-ting, 45; Leung Kwok-hung, 66; Mike Lam King-nam, 33; Ricky Or Yiu-lam, 51; Lee Yue-shun, 28; Winnie Yu Wai-ming, 35; Gordon Ng Ching-hang, 43; and Ng Kin-wai, 26.

Under the security law, the principal offenders in the subversion cases could be sentenced to life or fixed-term imprisonment of not less than 10 years. Active participants could be jailed for three to 10 years, while others could be jailed for not more than three years.

The court had heard that Tai first proposed that activists take more than 35 seats in Legco in December 2019, so they could vote against the government's budget and force then-chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to disband the Legco and resign after that.

Tai and Au held a press conference on March 26, 2020, to introduce their plan. Au also encouraged people to register as voters so that the pro-democracy camp could win in the Legco election.

In April, Tai published an article - "10 steps of real mutual destruction" - aimed at destroying the operation of Legco, paralyzing the government and subverting state powers.

The primary election was held on July 11 and 12 in 2020 and 31 candidates won. But nine of them were later disqualified from running in the Legco election as "they failed to genuinely uphold the Basic Law." The election was eventually postponed due to the pandemic.