HONG KONG – Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday she will not choose judges to preside over cases that come under the city’s new security law in an apparent attempt to assuage concerns about the controversial law.
Lam said she would appoint a panel of judges for all courts based on recommendations from a judicial body.
“When one day there is national security cases, the responsibility to assign which judge on that list to handle a case still lies on the judiciary of Hong Kong,” Lam said on Tuesday. “The Executive is not responsible for that.”
The new legislation has stoked fears among democracy activists in Hong Kong and some foreign governments that Beijing is further undermining extensive autonomy promised when Britain handed the city back to China under a “one country, two systems” formula in 1997.
China says the national security law, which is slated to be passed next week, will target only a small group of troublemakers.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field