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Hong Kong News

The curious case of the police ID badges

Rule of Law? Or rule by judges? Do police officers have human rights? What has a case about police officers’ identification numbers got to do with a law against torture? These questions had curious answers in 2020 declaratory judgments in Hong Kong. Henry Litton looks back at some unusual legal logic. A PRINCIPAL TENET of…

January 7, 20240Comments ByHenry Litton

Hong Kong News News Opinion

Why is Hong Kong’s recent same-sex marriage case a western debate?

A recent court case over same-sex marriage in Hong Kong was troubling; Not because it argued in favor or against such a development, but because it was based on a law that said nothing whatsoever on the subject. Furthermore, the debate spun itself off into areas that were clearly part of a very western discussion…

December 28, 20230Comments ByHenry Litton

Hong Kong News News Opinion

Is the separation of powers a dead letter in Hong Kong?

Critics say that it has become harder to become a District Councillor in Hong Kong. But that was precisely the point. When we look at the dramatic change in the council's activities in recent years, the alterations make sense, say some observers. Nevertheless, the recent legal challenge to the revisions was problematic, as…

December 18, 20230Comments ByHenry Litton

Hong Kong News News Opinion

Hong Kong election brings in younger, fresher faces

THE NEW DISTRICT COUNCILS in Hong Kong will be characterized by having more young newcomers and professionals after the latest council election was held on Sunday. With a turnout rate of 27.54%, the composition of the new District Council underlines the fact that Hong Kong is an open and pluralistic community. Steven Ho Chun-yin is…

December 12, 20230Comments ByHenry Ho

Culture Features Hong Kong News

Monet steals the show at extraordinary Hong Kong art exhibition

WANT TO LEARN the history of western art in a single afternoon? The Hong Kong Palace Museum is showcasing the UK National Gallery's prestigious painting collection - with 52 of the world’s finest masterpieces painted by fifty influential artists over a 400-year period. All the big names are there, including Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Rembrandt,…

December 12, 20230Comments ByEmily Zhou

Features Hong Kong News Opinion

Citizens Radio: a cautionary tale from the Magistrates Court

An ultra-simple magistracy-level case in which the facts were not in dispute was blown up into a years-long string of high level hearings by the improper injection of headline-friendly concepts from the west. Below, top legal commentator Henry Litton looks back at a notorious lawsuit which illustrates how Hong Kong's legal sector has been…

December 10, 20230Comments ByHenry Litton

Hong Kong News Opinion

How EU human rights laws are distorting our legal processes

The concept of “human rights” has triggered distortions in the legal process in Hong Kong that are causing serious problems for the judiciary, says Henry Litton, a senior legal commentator. This is the second of two parts, but can be read independently. To read the first part, click this line. To read an earlier essay…

December 4, 20230Comments ByHenry Litton

Hong Kong News News Opinion

Has the Hong Kong judiciary lost its way?

Hong Kong’s superb legal system was often rated best in Asia, and better than that of many places in the west. But it has been gradually undermined by absurd cases slipped into the system under the guise of “human rights” awareness, says former top judge Henry Litton, one of the world’s most respected legal minds.…

November 27, 20230Comments ByHenry Litton

Hong Kong News Opinion

Hong Kong’s new cultural district deserves our support

Believe it or not, this wide, green open waterfront space (pictured above) is in Hong Kong, a place more famous for developers frantically crowding buildings into every spare centimeter. This area should be celebrated, but the West Kowloon Cultural Center is being criticized for not being profitable. That argument is missing the point, says Brian…

October 31, 20230Comments ByBrian Renwick

Hong Kong News News

New study shows what really happened in Hong Kong in 2019

The world is told a simplistic black and white tale about Hong Kong’s troubles in 2019, with heroic “pro-democracy” activists crushed by Beijing. What really happened was very different and far more complex, says a detailed new book by top Hong Kong academic Daniel F. Vukovich. A DAILY HAIL of petrol bombs, scores of destroyed…

September 25, 20230Comments ByNury Vittachi

Hong Kong News

The curious case of the police ID badges

Why is Hong Kong’s recent same-sex marriage case a western debate?

Is the separation of powers a dead letter in Hong Kong?

Hong Kong election brings in younger, fresher faces

Monet steals the show at extraordinary Hong Kong art exhibition

Citizens Radio: a cautionary tale from the Magistrates Court

How EU human rights laws are distorting our legal processes

Has the Hong Kong judiciary lost its way?

Hong Kong’s new cultural district deserves our support

New study shows what really happened in Hong Kong in 2019

Chinese legal system growing fast, with continuous refinements

China has opposed the idea of killer robots but others are pressing ahead

Behind the China EV advance, there’s a network of issues to consider