1/ The #HKG will announce the commencement of consultation of Article 23 legislation tomorrow, despite the use of the NSL has almost empowered the gov to take full control of HK society. Here I forecast some key issues of A23 legislation ahead of the official press con: 2/ Sources hinted that the gov would not choose a ‘white bill’ constultation, which allows greater flexibiliy and openess for pulbic intervention before a final bill is out. Rather, they are likely to adopt a ‘blue bill’ consultation to warrant almost no adjustment the draft bill needed following the results of public consultation.

(1) Another sad evidence of Hong Kong government practising reprisals against citizens exercising free speech abroad and returning to their hometown. What is more absurd is that they charge her with committing sedition that has no long-arm effect. twitter.com/i/web/status/1… (2) The NSL of 2020 provides the principle of extraterritoriality for the NSL offences. Although the local court confirmed the offence of sedition as part of the national security crimes, it does not mean that sedition should have extraterritorial effect.

1/Today, the HK legislature passed legal amendments that empowers the executive govt to bar foreign lawyers from handling cases concerning national security in #HK. This is another example of damaging #HK's integrity of the legal system. See my thread: asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Hong… 2/ The legislation works against the tradition of allowing foreign lawyers without full qualification in Hong Kong to handle cases under the discretion of the court, now this discretion has shifted from the court, which would make decisions on the basis of merit, to the executive… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

1/BREAKING: #UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers sent a communication letter to the #PRC Government on #HK's #NSL, legal aid and law reforms affecting local & overseas #lawyers. Images are extracts. Full text: spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/… 2/ This letter of communication covers issues of human rights protections, judicial independence, fair trial under the NSL, as well as police powers, legal aid reforms, new cap of judicial review, foreign counsel and the latest government proposed bill of the Legal Practitioners… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

1/ Beijing's interpretation of #HK's #NSL (articles 14 and 47) fully empowers the Committee for Safeguarding National Security to override judicial decisions in the future, if local courts fail to obtain certificates from the Chief Executive in light of national security matters. 2/ Theoretically, the NSL interpretation today creates a de facto Prerogative State like what Germany had in the 1930s, when national security authorities enjoys privileges to adjudicate political trials whereas local courts operated in parallel to handle other disputes.

5 key takeaways from the UNHRCom’s first Concluding Observations on Hong Kong re ICCPR since the NSL was enacted. Link to the COs today: tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CCPR/… (1/x) 1/ the CO stresses that anyone or NGO engaging in the UN human rights bodies must not be criminalised or at risk of reprisals (para 50), whereas the HKG refused to warrant free participation of individuals and groups in UN mechanisms in the hearings.@UNHumanRights (2/x)

1/Strongly recommend everyone to read the transcript of @UKSupremeCourt Lord Reed's comment on his resignation from HK's Court of Final Appeal. Powerful and humble response to the legal compradors in #HK: committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/1… 2/some quotes: "The courts themselves were continuing to operate in accordance with rule of law values, although they were under pressure. It has to be said that one cannot completely divorce what was going on in the courts from what was going on outside the courts"

10 Things You Need to Know about the 2021 #LegislativeCouncil #Elections in #HongKong

1/ Candidates are Chosen by the Authorities: All candidates were approved by the state-led Candidate Eligibility Review Committee on the basis of reports by national security police… 2/ Dozens of former election candidates are captured in pre-trial detention: Let’s not forget that this election should have been held last year, after the citywide pro-democracy’s primary election with more than 610,000 citizens casting ballots…

1/ Here is my observations on HKSAR v Ma Chun Man (2021), which has a Chinese verdict and an English Press Summary for now: legalref.judiciary.hk/lrs/common/ju/… (20 tweets,beware!) 2/x The reasons for verdict have 84 paragraphs, and only 4 of them discuss the court’s view on human rights jurisprudence. Sadly, they are insufficient, incoherent and not up to international standard. (See para.46-47, 64-65) #HK #NSL …

The verdict of HKSAR v Ma Chun Man, aka the 2nd #NationalSecurityLaw trial in #Hongkong,is expected to be given today. Ma’s case is indeed the 1st #NSL case that involves solely #SpeechCrime of incitement & that the defendant at first brought #humanrights arguments to the court. A brief overview of his case can be found at @hkfp hongkongfp.com/2021/09/30/def…