The 82-year-old retired civil servant sought help from the Legal Aid Department for a judicial review to challenge the government over invalidating 20,000 vaccination exemption certificates by seven doctors accused of issuing fake documents.

But the Cheung Chau resident's application was rejected as he has had three anti-Covid jabs and was thus not considered as a concerned party in the case.

Kwok said: "It is what it is."

But he will commission a lawyer to represent him during the judicial review process. He could also file an appeal with the High Court, which could order the department to approve his application.

Barrister Albert Luk Wai-hung told The Standard that despite the application being rejected it did not mean Kwok's review will fall flat. Luk said: "There are many young and promising volunteer lawyers willing to help him or he can represent himself."

High Court judge Russell Coleman on Tuesday granted an interim injunction to put on hold the invalidation of the exemption certificates - a day before they were set to become ineffective.

Coleman also said Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau had no legal power to invalidate "questionable" vaccine waiver certificates.

The Health Bureau subsequently suspended any invalidation. The injunction will be in place until a judicial review hearing next Thursday. Also yesterday, undersecretary for health Libby Lee Ha-yun said doctors must refer to a patient's medical history before issuing an exemption certificate.