Top lawyer asks government if Beijing could control Hong Kong’s prosecutors and judiciary, after justice chief says liaison office has supervisory powers
- Bar Association chairman Philip Dykes wants clarification on breadth of Beijing’s power
- Request comes day after city’s justice chief said Basic Law did not stop liaison office having supervisory power over Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Bar Association’s chairman has urged the city government to make clear whether Beijing’s supervisory power over the city extends to the judiciary and prosecutors.
The debate over the liaison office’s power erupted earlier this month, when the office issued statements criticising opposition politicians for filibustering in the Legislative Council.
In response, the opposition said the liaison office was meddling with the city’s internal affairs, in breach of Article 22 of the Basic Law, which states that no department under the central government can interfere in Hong Kong matters.
The Hong Kong government has issued three contradictory statements on the subject, but Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah gave the most definitive stance yet on Monday, saying that “Article 22 of the Basic Law does not apply to the liaison office”.
