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Shortage of judges in Hong Kong may be self-inflicted

THERE IS AN ACUTE shortage of High Court judges in Hong Kong. The recent recruitment exercise yielded only four appointments, leaving still a number of vacancies unfilled. Can it be that the problem is largely internal? Self-afflicted? What if the culture within the judiciary were to change, and judges learn to act in a focussed…

March 14, 20240Comments ByHenry Litton

China news

Legal puzzle: Cases are being filed by people with nothing to gain

Courts function best when genuine cases are filed, logical decisions are made, and clear, concise judgments are issued. But the Hong Kong legal system has unfortunately caught a worrying habit associated with the west’s human rights industry: the appearance of “confected” (elaborately constructed) cases or judicial reviews based on a legal point that is not…

February 18, 20240Comments ByHenry Litton

Features News Opinion

Here’s how to understand Hong Kong’s Article 23

Sedition is a serious offence in countries around the world, and was made a crime in Hong Kong by the British. But when the city makes any move to codify this principle, it's painted as an shocking outrage with vague insinuations about authoritarianism. Grenville Cross looks at the actual facts of the matter. THE OFFENCE…

February 16, 20240Comments ByGrenville Cross

Hong Kong News News Opinion

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

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

Shortage of judges in Hong Kong may be self-inflicted

Legal puzzle: Cases are being filed by people with nothing to gain

Here’s how to understand Hong Kong’s Article 23

The curious case of the police ID badges

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

Can Europe dare to do the smart thing, and partner with China in Africa?

Australia’s government lives in a Pentagon-penned fiction of US primacy

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