John Lee to fix HK legal system’s image

Engineering firm Analogue Holdings is accused of collusion with a competitor on bidding for air-conditioning maintenance contracts. Interesting timing: it’s not exactly every day that Hong Kong takes action against cartels, and boss Otto von Poon is the husband of outgoing Justice Secretary Teresa Cheng, whose performance has (some say) not totally pleased Beijing.

The stock plummets 10%. (I actually own a few shares in them, on account of the juicy dividends. Maybe not quite so juicy now.)

Some links for the weekend, starting with a legal theme…

Buried away in the statistics, a minor but telling example of the decline of Hong Kong in recent years: as of end-March, 35.4% of people being detained by the Correctional Services Dept were awaiting trial – supposedly innocent until proven guilty. 

Incoming CE John Lee promises to promote Hong Kong’s legal system in the face of ‘self-interest political bad-mouthing in international politics and punditry’.

Which leads us to the submission on rule of law in Hong Kong to the UN Human Rights Committee on Hong Kong by Georgetown Law. An introduction/thread… 

Beijing and the HKG … view the need for complete control as so overwhelming that they are employing a number of different tools to achieve their national security goals. 

That’s why the government has effectively ruled out jury trials for NS cases; why only pre-selected judges can hear NS cases; why only a select few NS defendants are allowed bail; and why there are growing limits on legal aid for NS (and other) cases.

It’s overkill, for sure — no doubt the HKG could ease up on some of its procedural restrictions, and still get the outcomes they want from a sadly (thus far at least) too-compliant and insufficiently rights-protective judiciary.

Another report – somewhat broader in scope – from Hong Kong Human Rights Information Centre/ Hong Kong Rule of Law Monitor. 

Expect some angry hyper-ventilated mouth-frothing official statements about interference in Hong Kong affairs.

Or, if you prefer, a former Chief Justice advises Hongkongers not to focus so much on their rights.

Three years ago yesterday, two million on the streets. Whatever the number was, the whole area, plus all transport connections, were crammed – there was literally no room for more.

Regina Ip gets a tatty consolation prize – ‘convener’ of the rubber-stamp Executive Council. 

Plans to build lots more roads, especially nice expensive tunnels, in Lantau as part of a ‘fundamental change to the island’s function’. It will henceforth be a parking lot hub-zone.

From Atlantic, an account of returning to a newly repressive China…

China under Communist Party rule has always been an autocracy with overwhelming repressive capabilities. But in the era of Xi Jinping, the state has been empowered to tighten its grip on society and equipped with enhanced surveillance technology to make that possible. The pandemic has offered the state further rationale and opportunity to expand this power.

In Foreign Policy, a perhaps rather over-excited portrayal of China’s economy as toast.

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10 Responses to John Lee to fix HK legal system’s image

  1. Low Profile says:

    So, goodbye to what’s left of Lantau’s original function as a nice place for hiking, swimming, eating fresh seafood and enjoying natural beauty. I preferred that function. And then they have the cheek to talk about “Sustainable Lantau”.

  2. Poon Tang says:

    “Interesting timing: it’s not exactly every day that Hong Kong takes action against cartels, and boss Otto von Poon is the husband of outgoing Justice Secretary Teresa Cheng, whose performance has (some say) not totally pleased Beijing.”

    I doubt it’s “Hong Kong” that made the move. The one known is that the Party’s security apparatus KNOWS ALL the dirty little secrets on you (gov officials, especially) and chooses how it wants to use it and when.

  3. Frances Gumm says:

    The Exco Convenor is paid $130,000 per month to chair a weekly two-hour meeting of rubber stamps masquerading as human beings. That’s quite a consolation prize.

  4. reductio says:

    @Low Profile

    “Sustainable” as in sustaining lots of engineering contracts and sustaining the happiness of the Heung Yee Crooks.

  5. A Poor Man says:

    Vag is a recycled rag!

  6. Nury Hitachi says:

    There is a Hong Kong lawmaker by the name of Sunny Tan.

  7. wmjp says:

    The Exco Convenor is paid $130,000 per month
    That needs a couple of zeroes knocking off it.

    As it does, indeed, for all administration official salaries.

  8. Nury Hitachi says:

    Sunny Tan rhymes with Bunny Chan.

  9. Mary Melville says:

    “More importantly, I want the Secretary for Justice and the Deputy to go out to explain in full the legal system in Hong Kong, the rule of law and the judicial independence in Hong Kong, so as to let people know the true picture of Hong Kong, particularly when we have been badmouthed by some politicians for political reasons, criticising unfairly the system that is being practised in Hong Kong. It is important we tell the true story and reflect the true situation of Hong Kong to the world.”

    And this task is to be the focus of the Deputy, a DAB lawyer with a less than illustrious practice record who was defeated in the 2019 DC election by a 20-year old student.
    The international community will be as impressed as we are.

    Potty mouth Mak of FTU is to take over Home Affairs

    Regina NPP convener of Exco. She is taking a pay cut as she will lose her Legco perks
    Remuneration for LegCo Members who also serve on ExCo
    3.5 Under the existing mechanism, an ExCo member who is also serving on LegCo is given two-thirds of the monthly remuneration received by other LegCo Members. The monthly honorarium of non-official ExCo member and monthly remuneration of LegCo Member are $85,130 and $101,000 respectively, and two-thirds of a LegCo Member’s monthly remuneration is $67,330

    Consolation prizes and ‘face’ for the three ‘patriotic’ political parties that run for the reduced to 10 geographical seats.

  10. Backwards Northerner says:

    Sunny Tan? Bunny Chan? .. Funny Man

    (apologies if I have inadvertently misgendered you, but the weak joke is rendered utterly worthless otherwise)

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