Critics of Hong Kong should study rulings before making accusations: ex-justice minister
City’s first justice minister Elsie Leung defends wider nation’s rule of law, saying there has been progress and country is still refining system
A former Hong Kong justice minister has urged foreign critics of the city’s national security trials to study relevant court judgments before making accusations against the city’s freedoms, as she expressed confidence in the local judiciary’s independence.
Elsie Leung Oi-sie, who also previously served as a deputy director of the Basic Law Committee, slammed external critics of the nation’s rule of law on Sunday, arguing they lacked knowledge of the country’s legal advancements and ongoing efforts to refine its system.
She urged Hong Kong to strengthen its status as an international arbitration centre by leveraging its advantages, which included the city’s independent judicial system.
The former justice minister took aim at foreign critics, such as those in the West, for their stance that Hong Kong was suppressing dissent and press freedom through criminal charges and convictions against opposition leaders and media outlets.
“I suggest they study the verdicts, which detail the facts and reasons … What critics say must be well-founded. The best basis is the verdict,” she told a radio programme on Sunday.
“I have full confidence in our judiciary, and have nothing to say to others who force their critical views on us. The most important thing is to do right by ourselves.”
