Latest news with #nationalsecuritylaw
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Overseas judges leaving top Hong Kong court ‘only natural': ex-justice chief
The recent departure of several overseas judges from Hong Kong's top court was 'only natural' as those in the first batch appointed nearly three decades ago are already aged 80 years or older, a former justice chief has said. Advertisement Elsie Leung Oi-sie, the first secretary for justice after Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, when the judges joined the court , also said on Monday that the city should look into cultivating judicial talent locally to reduce reliance on outsiders. Leung, who previously served as a deputy director of the Basic Law Committee, also urged Hong Kong legislators to improve their standards, noting that many 'political novices' of varying levels of ability had emerged following Beijing's 'patriots-only' electoral overhaul. She was speaking at a legal forum in Beijing organised by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, which centred on the national security law Beijing imposed on Hong Kong nearly five years ago in the wake of months of anti-government protests. Former Secretary for Justice Elsie Leung says judicial turnover is 'perfectly normal', Photo: Dickson Lee Leung accused some foreign forces of smearing Hong Kong's judicial system by targeting the national security law as well as its domestic counterpart, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, enacted in March last year.
South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Beijing's point man overseeing Hong Kong affairs ‘set to visit city in mid-June'
Beijing's point man overseeing Hong Kong affairs is set to visit the city later this month as it marks the fifth anniversary of the imposition of the national security law and he will speak on the occasion, the Post has learned. Advertisement Sources told the Post that Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), was planning a visit to the city and was likely to attend a national security legal forum organised by the Department of Justice and scheduled for June 21. 'The authorities have been working on Xia's itinerary. An option is to inspect the progress of the Northern Metropolis, ' an insider said on Tuesday, referring to the megadevelopment which involves turning 30,000 hectares of land near the city's border with mainland China into an economic powerhouse and a housing hub. Xia's scheduled visit will come three weeks after Beijing appointed Zhou Ji as the new director of its liaison office in Hong Kong, replacing Zheng Yanxiong who was in the role for 2½ years, with analysts deeming the reshuffle a sign of shifting priorities to focus more on economic development amid a challenging geopolitical environment. John Lee (left) and Xia Baolong visit the West Kowloon Cultural District in February last year. Photo: Elson Li The occasion Xia is expected to speak at is an annual legal forum to mark the anniversary of the Beijing-imposed security law enacted in 2020 after months of anti-government protests , aimed at preventing, stopping and punishing secession, subversion of state power, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.
South China Morning Post
26-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong kindergartens told to hold June 30 flag-raising events for first time
Hong Kong kindergartens are being asked for the first time to hold national flag-raising ceremonies and other activities on June 30 to mark the fifth anniversary of the Beijing-decreed national security law's passage. The Education Bureau also sent samples of suggested speeches for schools to read out to students. One of the texts stressed that the country's stability could only be safeguarded if national security was placed first. The speech described the legal apparatus used to safeguard national security as 'a sword of justice' that protected Hong Kong's state of prosperity and stability. Another suggested speech declared that the national security law had protected Hong Kong against violence and the threat of secession. 'Like school rules, [the legislation] protects students against being bullied,' the speech read. In a circular sent out last week, the bureau asked kindergartens and primary and secondary schools to hold activities to mark the fifth anniversary of the law's passage and the 28th anniversary of the city's return to Chinese sovereignty on July 1.
