Latest news with #LegislativeCouncil
HKFP
3 hours ago
- Politics
- HKFP
Hong Kong democrat found guilty in landmark nat. sec case described as ‘diligent' legislator at appeal hearing
An ex-lawmaker who was found guilty in Hong Kong's largest national security case and jailed for six and a half years was a 'diligent' legislator who believed what he was doing was lawful, a court has heard. Raymond Chan, along with 10 other pro-democracy activists, appeared at the West Kowloon Law Courts Building on Tuesday for the second day of the case's appeal hearings. He wore a black jacket over a white collared shirt and appeared visibly thinner. They were among the 45 activists convicted of conspiring to commit subversion over their role in an unofficial primary in 2020 aimed at strategising votes for an upcoming Legislative Council election. Out of the 47 people charged, only two were cleared, and the government is appealing one of the acquittals. Chan's barrister, David Ma, told the court that his client served Hong Kong as a lawmaker for eight years. He was a 'diligent' legislator who had a meeting attendance rate of 99 per cent, Ma said. Chan was 'no doubt' very familiar with the functions and duties of the Legislative Council as described in the Basic Law, Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the barrister said. 'So with all this background and disposition… his propensity in committing a serious crime that is subversion would be brought into question,' Ma added. At the crux of the case is the prosecution's argument that the defendants had agreed to indiscriminately veto the government budget and force the chief executive to step down, a mechanism provided for under the Basic Law. Ma said Chan had a track record of working with the pro-establishment camp and supporting the government. He suggested that Chan had 'genuinely and honestly believed' that what he intended to do was lawful, and that the trial judges' conclusion that he intended to subvert the government was not a 'safe' inference. Chan and 11 others who pleaded guilty are applying for leave to appeal their convictions and sentences. They include activists Owen Chow, Gordon Ng and Gwyneth Ho, who received some of the longest jail terms in the case, of up to seven years and nine months. Activist Wong Ji-yuet, who pleaded guilty, is applying for leave to appeal her sentence. She was jailed for four years and five months. 'No evidence' Ex-lawmakers Lam Cheuk-ting and Helena Wong are also appealing their sentences and convictions. Lam was sentenced to six years and nine months, and Wong to six years and six months. Barrister Erik Shum, representing both former lawmakers, drew comparisons between his clients' verdicts and those of Lawrence Lau, who was one of the two defendants cleared of their charges. The government is appealing Lau's acquittal. Shum said Lau's name appeared as a signatory to the Inked Without Regret declaration, one of the key documents associated with more radical ideals and which was cited by the prosecution in their reasons for convicting the activists. The barrister said that neither Lam nor Wong signed the document, and there was 'no evidence' they were even aware of it. Representing ex-district councillor Clarisse Yeung, barrister Cheung Yiu-leung said his client was among the participants with the 'least level of participation in this matter.' Cheung brought up one of the points that the trial judges relied on when explaining their reasons for finding her guilty. He said that while police found documents on Yeung's 'office computer notebook' relating to the primaries, there was no evidence that the device was hers. Yeung cast doubt on the ownership of the laptop and who might have put the documents on it. Cheung also cited the judges' point that her name appeared on the Inked Without Regret declaration, but the declaration was not posted on her Facebook page like it was on other candidates'. Her lawyer said her name might have been written by someone else. 10-day hearing Tuesday marked the second day of the appeal hearings, which are scheduled to last 10 days. The hearings are taking place more than a year after High Court judges convicted the activists and sentenced them, with the longest sentence of 10 years going to ex-University of Hong Kong law professor Benny Tai. The prosecution said Tai was the 'mastermind' behind the scheme. On Monday, Michael Pang – one of the defendants found guilty and who was initially appealing his conviction and sentence – announced he was dropping his challenge. Wednesday's hearing will continue with arguments by Shum, who represents ex-lawmakers Lam and Wong. In June 2020, Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong's mini-constitution – bypassing the local legislature – following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts, which were broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers, alarming democrats, civil society groups and trade partners, as such laws have been used broadly to silence and punish dissidents in China. However, the authorities say it has restored stability and peace to the city.
The Hindu
15 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Maharashtra to enact anti-conversion law in December, will be stricter than other States: Minister
The Maharashtra government will bring a tough law to prevent religious conversions in the winter session of the legislature and its provisions will be more stringent than similar legislations existing in other States, Minister Pankaj Bhoyar has said. Speaking in the Legislative Council on Monday (July 14, 2025), the Minister of State for Home (Rural) noted Maharashtra will be the 11th Indian State to come up with such a law. "A panel has been formed under the Director General of Police to frame a law (against religious conversions) that will be stricter than the rest of the 10 states. A report (on the issue drafted by DGP) has been submitted and the law will be passed in the coming (winter) session," he told the House. The Winter Session of the State Legislature is usually held in December in Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra. Raising the issue of forced conversion in the State, Shiv Sena leader and nominated MLC Manisha Kayande alleged a pregnant woman committed suicide in Sangli district of western Maharashtra as she was under pressure (from in-laws) to change her religion. There was a fight in a Pune-based family over the issue of religious conversion and cross FIRs were filed over the matter, she said. Kayande pointed out that 10 States— Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand— have their own anti-conversion law. The MLC asked whether Maharashtra's Mahayuti government will bring an anti-conversion law like these 10 States, to which the Minister replied in the affirmative. Last week, Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule also said a strict law to prevent religious conversions will be enacted in the State. Replying to a debate on the issue in the State Assembly, Mr. Bawankule had said he would speak to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on how to bring an anti-conversion law with stringent provisions.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Business
- Indian Express
As MIDC runs into losses, Opposition alleges land racket; chairman orders special meeting
The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) reported a deficit of Rs 1,416.82 crore in the fiscal 2024-25 due to land acquisition, allotment of lands at subsidised rates and payments to local bodies. Amid Opposition allegations over government forcing MIDC to acquire lands for industries at higher rates, Legislative Council chairman Ram Shinde ordered a meeting in his chamber in the next few weeks. Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLC Shashikant Shinde on Monday raised a question in the legislative council, seeking reasons for the deficit in MIDC's budget for the year 2024-25 and the steps taken in the next fiscal to counter it. 'The MIDC never had a deficit. It was always in profit. This is nothing but mismanagement of its resources. At a time when the government claims that it has attracted huge industrial investments, what are the reasons for the deficit,' he asked. Minister of State for Industries, Indraneel Naik said, 'The MIDC has been acquiring land and due to the act, compensation has gone up by almost 4 to 5 times. In addition, we offer lands at subsidised rates to industries in Vidarbha and Marathwada. Water royalty and other taxes have to be paid to local bodies, increasing the expenses. However, we have signed MoUs worth Rs 15 lakh crore from world Economic Forum and will soon have surplus.' The Opposition, however, countered Naik saying there has been a racket going on within the MIDC. Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve said, 'There are multiple examples where land has been acquired and been lying vacant for years without use. A racket of individuals is being run which forces the MIDC to buy land at higher prices and earns profit through it. This needs to be investigated.' Shashikant Shinde, too, joined Danve saying a detailed discussion is required on the topic and asked to not conclude the discussion on the starred question.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Legislative council clears key MCOCA and slum bills
Mumbai: Two important bills—the MCOCA (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) (Second Amendment) Bill—were passed by the state legislative assembly on Monday. The Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (Amendment) Bill states any illegal act that is continued will now include any person who "cultivates, produces, manufactures, possesses, sells, purchases, transports or stores narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances in commercial quantities". Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve said the new law is welcome as it will help tackle the narcotics menace in the city and across the state, which will now come under organised crime. He, though, warned that it should not be misused. The slum bill was introduced by Shiv Sena minister Shambhuraj Desai. It will allow the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to recover pending transit rent dues from developers by attaching not only the company's property but also the personal properties of the directors/partners, if
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Lawmakers warn SIM card limits won't stem tide of phone scams in Hong Kong
A law amendment proposal to reduce the number of prepaid SIM cards per user from 10 to three does not go far enough to deter rampant phone scams, according to Hong Kong lawmakers, who called for a tougher approach to handling the issue. Hong Kong authorities have proposed reducing the maximum number of prepaid SIM cards a user can register with one of the 29 telecommunications service providers in the city from 10 to just three, according to a paper submitted to the Legislative Council. This means each user can register up to 87 SIM cards based on a quota of three per person. 'The effect [of the piece of the proposed law] might be discounted,' lawmaker Ronick Chan Chun-ying said. He proposed further capping the maximum number of prepaid SIM cards per user. Lawmaker Peter Shiu Ka-fai considered the number of 87 'sizeable' and recommended registering with a limit of four telecommunications service providers, which would translate to 12 prepaid SIM cards per user. Lawmaker Doreen Kong Yuk-foon agreed with Shiu's suggestion and cited other jurisdictions having limits of eight, 10 and 12 while pointing out that Hongkongers should not be paying the price of scams for a free industry.
