Cheng joined the HKJA board in 2021. On 22 June 2024, Cheng was elected 100-2 as chair at the association's annual general meeting, succeeding Ronson Chan. She assumed office on July 1.
Private prosecution
After mediation attempts with Dow Jones proved unsuccessful, Cheng announced in November 2024 that she would pursue legal action against her former employer. She filed a complaint with Hong Kong's Labour Department, which investigated the matter but ultimately declined to prosecute Dow Jones after seeking legal advice from the Department of Justice.
In February 2025, Cheng launched a private prosecution against Dow Jones Publishing Co (Asia) Inc., the parent company of the Wall Street Journal, at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts. Dow Jones faced two charges under the city's Employment Ordinance: one count of doing an act calculated to prevent or deter an employee from exercising union participation rights, and one count of terminating employment over union participation. The company pleaded not guilty to both charges, each of which carries a maximum fine of HK$100,000.
Cheng was represented by Senior Counsel Nigel Kat and barrister Nicklaus Pannu-Yuon, with solicitor Adam Paul Clermont as instructing solicitor. Dow Jones was represented by Senior Counsel Benson Tsoi. The trial was heard before Principal Magistrate David Cheung over twelve days at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts.
During the trial, Cheng testified that her supervisor had told her that her participation in the HKJA election was "problematic" and that the matter needed to be discussed with Wall Street Journal management in New York and Dow Jones in-house lawyers. The court heard that Kerene Ko, a human resources director at Dow Jones, had informed Cheng by email that she "did not seek, and will not receive the company's approval" to pursue the HKJA chair role. The defence argued that the prosecution had not proven the individuals involved acted as the "directing mind and will" of the company, contending that any offence, if proven, would lie against the individuals rather than the corporate entity. Dow Jones also accused Cheng of abusing the criminal process and acting in bad faith, pointing to emails showing she had demanded HK$3 million as settlement or reinstatement with a formal apology. Cheng denied that financial compensation was her primary motivation, stating she wanted to hold employers accountable for violations of the law.
Senior Counsel Kat argued in closing submissions that an employee enjoys "far-reaching protection" from the Employment Ordinance, which prohibits employers from preventing, deterring, or firing a worker for union activities.
On 10 September 2026, Principal Magistrate David Cheung convicted Dow Jones of the first charge of deterring Cheng from exercising her union participation rights. The court acquitted the company on the second charge of terminating Cheng's employment over her union role, with the magistrate finding that the defence had raised sufficient reasonable doubt, as the possibility that the company dismissed Cheng as part of a genuine corporate restructuring could not be ruled out beyond a reasonable doubt. Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Cheng said her case had brought awareness of union suppression in Hong Kong and that employers had no right to require employees to consult them before joining a union. Sentencing is expected at a later date. The Wall Street Journal faces a maximum fine of HK$100,000. Dow Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment following the verdict.
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