VICTORIA — British Columbia Conservative MLA Hon Chan has been charged with assault, assault by choking and uttering threats in a case of alleged intimate partner violence, prompting his removal from the party caucus.
The BC Prosecution Service said in a statement on Thursday that the Richmond Centre legislator was charged under the name Hon-Sang Chan after a special prosecutor, Andi MacKay, was appointed to look into the case last June.
The service said the alleged offences occurred on Jan. 12, 2024, in Richmond, B.C., and Chan was charged on Wednesday.
“Following consultation with the special prosecutor, the (service) concluded that issuing a media statement was appropriate at this time,” it said.
Chan said in a brief statement sent by WhatsApp that he “disagrees with the allegation” and he “looks forward to defending” himself.
He said he would continue to co-operate with police and the courts and would make no further comment.
The prosecution service said Chan’s first appearance has been set for April 22 in Richmond provincial court.
MacKay is a King’s counsel who is the co-founder of Vancouver-based MacKay Boyar Law Corporation, with the firm describing her as “one of the leading litigators in the province.”
Court records show Chan’s case is designated as a “K” file, meaning it involves allegations of intimate partner violence.
Interim B.C. Conservative leader Trevor Halford said in a statement that Chan had been removed from the party caucus with immediate effect.
He said “any allegations of domestic violence are taken seriously” by the party.
“Yesterday, Mr. Chan informed me of serious criminal charges against him. Prior to yesterday, the caucus and party had no knowledge of this matter or any related incidents,” Halford said in the statement issued Thursday.
He said anyone who experiences domestic violence “deserves to know that people in positions of public trust will be held to the highest standard of accountability.”
He added: “Mr. Chan is entitled to the presumption of innocence and due process before the courts. Those proceedings will run their course.”
Halford said later at a press conference in Victoria that Chan told him he was arrested on Wednesday before being released.
“It was a fairly brief conversation,” Halford said. “We didn’t get into any specifics or anything like that. I did inform him that we were immediately removing him from caucus, and that was basically the end of the conversation.”
He said it will be up to Chan to decide whether he should resign from his seat.
“The allegations are incredibly serious, they are very troubling, they are very disturbing, and he is going to have to make that decision himself,” Halford said.
New Democrat MLA Grace Lore, a former minister of children and family development, said she was “deeply disappointed” that Halford did not call for Chan’s resignation.
“What we have got here is something extremely serious, a case where charges are laid for violence, involving an MLA, and involving an incident that happened two years ago,” she told reporters.
Lore, a former academic who specialized in studies on gender and violence against women, said in a statement that it was inappropriate for someone facing such serious charges to continue to serve as an MLA.
B.C.’s Constitution Act says that MLAs can lose their seat if they are “convicted of an indictable offence that may only be prosecuted by way of indictment.”
Recall proceedings can also be sought against an MLA 18 months after their election, meaning residents in Chan’s riding could start collecting the necessary signatures from April 20.
The prosecution service said the appointment of a special prosecutor was “intended to avoid any potential for real or perceived improper influence in the administration of justice considering the nature of the allegations and the identity of the accused as an elected public official.”
“Ms. MacKay is a senior Vancouver lawyer in private practice,” it said. “Her mandate includes providing legal advice to investigators as may be necessary, conducting any related charge assessment, and assuming conduct of the prosecution if any charge was approved.”
Chan was elected as the MLA for Richmond Centre in 2024 and served as the Opposition critic for ICBC, TransLink, transit, and climate solutions.
The riding was previously held by the B.C. NDP’s Harry Yao.
Chan’s profile on the B.C. Conservatives’ website, which can no longer be viewed, described him as a former journalist and talk show host, and a “well-known figure in the Chinese community across Canada.”
“He has consistently held the government accountable, challenged leaders at all three levels of government, and brought controversial policies to public attention,” the profile said.
Halford said he had a “great working relationship” with Chan.
“To say, it came across a shock would be an understatement,” he said of the charges. “But I’m thinking of all those involved, and wishing them the best.”
— With files by Nono Shen in Vancouver
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2026.
Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press
