Residents in Hong Kong heaved a sigh of relief on Tuesday after the special administrative region's high court ruled that two legislators-elect have been disqualified for violating the Basic Law in the SAR and the local ordinance concerning the oath-taking process when assuming office.

The verdict ended for the time being the huge controversy surrounding the improper oath-taking of Sixtus Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-ching on Oct 12, which had cast a long shadow over Hong Kong.

The ruling was made in a judicial review filed by the chief executive and secretary for justice of the HKSAR government on Oct 15 that asked the court to overrule the decision by the president of the Legislative Council to give the two lawmakers-elect a second chance at swearing-in.