Barrister #PaulHarris Leaves Hong Kong After Being Approached by National Security Police
The former chairperson of the Hong Kong Bar Association (#HKBA), Paul Harris, has reportedly left Hong Kong on March 1, 2022, hours after local media said he was summoned to a meeting with the #NationalSecurityPolice.
He confirmed to Reuters that he had left, saying that he returned to see his mother in England.
Harris’ departure comes after his meeting with national security police at the police headquarters in Wan Chai earlier that afternoon.
In the meeting, he was said to be given a warning over an alleged breach of the security legislation connected to a NGO Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor, of which Harris was the founding chairperson.
The rights group has been accused by state-run media of colluding with foreign forces and playing a “major role” in the anti-extradition protests in 2019.
Source: Inmediahk; HKFP #Mar1
https://bit.ly/3McKqxp
#NationalSecurityLaw
The former chairperson of the Hong Kong Bar Association (#HKBA), Paul Harris, has reportedly left Hong Kong on March 1, 2022, hours after local media said he was summoned to a meeting with the #NationalSecurityPolice.
He confirmed to Reuters that he had left, saying that he returned to see his mother in England.
Harris’ departure comes after his meeting with national security police at the police headquarters in Wan Chai earlier that afternoon.
In the meeting, he was said to be given a warning over an alleged breach of the security legislation connected to a NGO Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor, of which Harris was the founding chairperson.
The rights group has been accused by state-run media of colluding with foreign forces and playing a “major role” in the anti-extradition protests in 2019.
Source: Inmediahk; HKFP #Mar1
https://bit.ly/3McKqxp
#NationalSecurityLaw
UK judges quit Hong Kong's top court over national security law concerns while Canadian and Australian judges decide to remain
Two senior British judges, including the president of the UK Supreme Court, Lord #RobertReed and his deputy Lord #PatrickHodge resigned from Hong Kong's highest court. Four of the ten remaining overseas judges, however, said they would remain to defend the city's "last surviving strong institution of democracy".
Reed said in a statement on March 30, 2022, that they could no longer serve in Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal "without appearing to endorse an administration which has departed from values of political freedom."
The judges resignation was endorsed by the UK prime minister as #BorisJohnson told MPs: “They have evidently concluded the constraints of the national security law make it impossible for them to serve in the way they would want.”
British Foreign Secretary #LizTruss also said that the situation had reached a tippingpoint "untenable" for judges to serve independently without risk legitimising oppression.
"We have seen a systematic erosion of liberty and democracy in Hong Kong. Since the National Security Law was imposed, authorities have cracked down on free speech, the free press and free association."
Four of the ten remaining overseas judges, however, have said on the next day that they will remain, including former Canadian chief justice Beverley McLachlin, Australian judges William Gummow, Anthony Murray Gleeson and Robert French.
Sources:
InmediaHK, #Mar30;
https://bit.ly/3LqiLrr
HKFP, #Mar31
https://hongkongfp.com/2022/03/31/australian-canadian-judges-to-stay-on-hong-kong-top-court-after-2-uk-judges-quit-citing-security-law/
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Related articles
Barrister #PaulHarris Leaves Hong Kong After Being Approached by National Security Police
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/32345
Hong Kong Watch, the first overseas organisation accused of National Security Violations
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/32404
.
Two senior British judges, including the president of the UK Supreme Court, Lord #RobertReed and his deputy Lord #PatrickHodge resigned from Hong Kong's highest court. Four of the ten remaining overseas judges, however, said they would remain to defend the city's "last surviving strong institution of democracy".
Reed said in a statement on March 30, 2022, that they could no longer serve in Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal "without appearing to endorse an administration which has departed from values of political freedom."
The judges resignation was endorsed by the UK prime minister as #BorisJohnson told MPs: “They have evidently concluded the constraints of the national security law make it impossible for them to serve in the way they would want.”
British Foreign Secretary #LizTruss also said that the situation had reached a tippingpoint "untenable" for judges to serve independently without risk legitimising oppression.
"We have seen a systematic erosion of liberty and democracy in Hong Kong. Since the National Security Law was imposed, authorities have cracked down on free speech, the free press and free association."
Four of the ten remaining overseas judges, however, have said on the next day that they will remain, including former Canadian chief justice Beverley McLachlin, Australian judges William Gummow, Anthony Murray Gleeson and Robert French.
Sources:
InmediaHK, #Mar30;
https://bit.ly/3LqiLrr
HKFP, #Mar31
https://hongkongfp.com/2022/03/31/australian-canadian-judges-to-stay-on-hong-kong-top-court-after-2-uk-judges-quit-citing-security-law/
-----
Related articles
Barrister #PaulHarris Leaves Hong Kong After Being Approached by National Security Police
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/32345
Hong Kong Watch, the first overseas organisation accused of National Security Violations
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/32404
.
獨立媒體
韋彥德、賀知義辭任終院非常任法官 稱不願為港府背書 | 獨媒報導 | 獨立媒體
【獨媒報導】終審法院現時有12名海外非常任法官，特首林鄭不時以此強調香港司法獨立，惟12席法官去留出現變數。英國最高法院今宣布，英國最高法院院長及副院長韋彥德勳爵及賀知義勳爵，辭去香港終審法院非常任法官職務，即時生效。韋彥德在聲明指，《港區國安法》實施後不時權衡終院工作與英國國家利益，最終認為若繼續出任工作，將難免予人感覺正為一個遠離自由民
#Oppression #FailedState
Hong Kong law firm Vidler & Co, which handled protest-related cases announced closure after 19 years
A Hong Kong law firm, which specialised in Human Rights and handled multiple cases related to the 2019 protests will soon cease practising.
The Law Society of Hong Kong notified members that Vidler & Co. intended to cease practice on June 3 after 19 years of operations.
The firm took on several controversial incidents, including an alleged police gang rape and the case of Indonesian journalist Veby Mega Indah, who was allegedly shot in the face with a police projectile.
#MichaelVidler, owner of the firm, has also represented Joshua Wong Chi-fung and protester Ken Tsang Kin-chiu, who was beaten by several police officers in a dark corner in Admiralty.
4 days after the company announced its closure, Vidler was seen leaving the city on 25 April. In the airport, he was bombarded by a group of reporters from Ta Kung Pao, a CCP mouthpiece with questions in Chinese.
Reporters urged him to explain whether his departure is related to #PaulHarris who has left in March this year.
Vidler is on the panel of solicitors for the Legal Aid Department, the Duty Lawyer Scheme and is an approved solicitor for a number of consulates in Hong Kong.
He was twice elected in 2011 and 2017 as a representative of the legal functional constituency on the 1,200-member Election Committee, which is tasked with nominating and choosing Hong Kong's chief executive.
Sources: Ming Pao, Chaser News
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/%e6%b8%af%e8%81%9e/article/20220421/s00001/1650518079447
The Chaser News; #Apr25
Related article
Barrister #PaulHarris Leaves Hong Kong After Being Approached by National Security Police
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/32345
.
Hong Kong law firm Vidler & Co, which handled protest-related cases announced closure after 19 years
A Hong Kong law firm, which specialised in Human Rights and handled multiple cases related to the 2019 protests will soon cease practising.
The Law Society of Hong Kong notified members that Vidler & Co. intended to cease practice on June 3 after 19 years of operations.
The firm took on several controversial incidents, including an alleged police gang rape and the case of Indonesian journalist Veby Mega Indah, who was allegedly shot in the face with a police projectile.
#MichaelVidler, owner of the firm, has also represented Joshua Wong Chi-fung and protester Ken Tsang Kin-chiu, who was beaten by several police officers in a dark corner in Admiralty.
4 days after the company announced its closure, Vidler was seen leaving the city on 25 April. In the airport, he was bombarded by a group of reporters from Ta Kung Pao, a CCP mouthpiece with questions in Chinese.
Reporters urged him to explain whether his departure is related to #PaulHarris who has left in March this year.
Vidler is on the panel of solicitors for the Legal Aid Department, the Duty Lawyer Scheme and is an approved solicitor for a number of consulates in Hong Kong.
He was twice elected in 2011 and 2017 as a representative of the legal functional constituency on the 1,200-member Election Committee, which is tasked with nominating and choosing Hong Kong's chief executive.
Sources: Ming Pao, Chaser News
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/%e6%b8%af%e8%81%9e/article/20220421/s00001/1650518079447
The Chaser News; #Apr25
Related article
Barrister #PaulHarris Leaves Hong Kong After Being Approached by National Security Police
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/32345
.
明報新聞網 - 即時新聞 instant news
韋智達律師行擬6月停止執業 曾處理多宗反修例相關案 (13:19) - 20220421 - 港聞
律師會今（21日）向會員發通告，表示收到韋智達律師行（Vidler & Co. Solicitors）發出擬停止執業的通知書（Notice of intention to cease practice），打算於今年6月3日停止執業。