Hong Kong's High Court ruled on Thursday that the city government had failed to provide an independent mechanism to handle police complaints, breaching the Asian financial hub's Bill of Rights on torture and cruel treatment.

Hong Kong's Journalist Association had launched a judicial review in 2019 following widespread anti-government protests, arguing that the government had an obligation to set up a mechanism capable of "effective investigation" into suspected ill-treatment by the police.

An independent inquiry into police handling of the protests...