Past actions, words by candidates will be considered by vetting committee set up under Hong Kong’s electoral overhaul: city’s justice chief

Teresa Cheng says details of decisions based on national security and intelligence will not be disclosed, but other matters can still be challenged in court by affected individuals

‘Maybe something he or she mentioned 10 years ago has a connection with what that person advocates today,’ she points out

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Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 2:02pm, 3 Apr 2021Updated: 6:23pm, 3 Apr 2021

A vetting committee set up under Beijing’s overhaul of Hong Kong’s electoral system to screen out candidates deemed “unpatriotic” will consider previous actions and words by an individual, the city’s justice minister has said, adding however that disqualifications may not necessarily indicate a breach of the national security law.

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah said the new committee would receive advice from police’s national security unit and a commission led by the chief executive and supervised by Beijing, before making a decision. The move could still be subject to appeal in court if it did not involve intelligence.

Decisions related to “national security reasons” would be kept secret and not made public when determining someone’s eligibility to be a candidate in elections, she added.

“The committee will definitely take the advice of the commission for safeguarding national security seriously, as they are the experts and most familiar with the issue [on patriotism],” she told a radio programme on Saturday.

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