Opinion | To Hong Kong’s critics, some national security laws are more equal than others
- Those who attack the national security law for Hong Kong seem oblivious to the legal landscape in their own countries
- Julian Assange is fighting extradition to the US for violating its 1917 Espionage Act, while in the UK a strict national security regime also prevails
Although the national security law is heavy on human rights, Western countries often demonise it. Despite having tough national security regimes of their own, they reacted to the enactment of the law for Hong Kong.
Although British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly claimed in September that the national security law “continues to undermine Hong Kong’s legal and judicial systems”, this is not how its operators see things.
Since the enactment of the law, the judiciary has skilfully interpreted its provisions in a way that respects common law traditions. Indeed, in 2021, the Court of Final Appeal noted that “it is evident that the legislative intention is for the [national security law] to operate in tandem with the laws of the [Hong Kong special administrative region], seeking ‘convergence, compatibility and complementarity’ with local laws”.
