JUDGES, HAVING SWAPPED their wigs and gowns for military uniforms, routinely hand down the death penalty. Legal officials dispense justice according to who has given them the biggest bribe. And the courts never rule against the Government.
These were some of the fears expressed by lawyers in the run up to the 1997 handover when they discussed how the legal system might change after the return to Chinese rule.
Given the fundamental differences between the SAR's system and the one on the mainland, it is not surprising the concerns in Hong Kong have focused on keeping them distinct and separate.
But while the worse-case scenarios have not materialised, and even the wigs have survived, there have inevitably been times when the two systems have clashed.
And despite the intense debate that has followed a string of controversies over the past five years, many important questions concerning the relationship between them remain unanswered.
There are still no formal rendition arrangements for the transfer of suspects from the mainland to Hong Kong and vice versa. Much doubt surrounds the concept of national security and the extent to which Hong Kong has autonomy in matters relating to it. Sensitive legislation outlawing subversion and secession has still not been enacted and there remains uncertainty about when the Court of Final Appeal must refer cases to the National People's Congress, and what procedures must be followed when it does.