Is Hong Kong's legislature becoming too timid, too tame? A year in review
The new law, opposed by the major political parties, was the government's response to a landmark court ruling that found authorities had violated the city's Bill of Rights by failing to offer some form of legal recognition, such as civil partnerships, to same-sex couples.
Opposing lawmakers had
slammed the framework as a threat to the institution of traditional marriage between a man and a woman. It marked a rare public rift between the government and the
Legislative Council
But privately, some conceded a veto might not necessarily be an undesirable outcome as the government could still argue it had fulfilled its constitutional responsibility by offering the bill even if it failed to pass.
Still, the unlikely display of opposition was a break from the brisk and efficient proceedings the chamber had been known for since Beijing revamped the city's electoral system in 2021.
After months of
anti-government protests in 2019 and taunting of Legco by anti-China elements, Beijing moved to overhaul the political system to 'safeguard the constitutional order' of the city, requiring all aspiring lawmakers to demonstrate their patriotism before they could run, a move that effectively wiped out the existing opposition then.
As a measure of the current briskness of business, the legislature approved 117 bills between January 1, 2022, and July 15 this year, or three each month, representing a 98 per cent increase compared with the same period in the previous term.
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