The opening of the Basic Law Library in October will help fill a vacuum that has long hindered research into Hong Kong's constitution and public understanding of its provisions.
For the first time, an extensive set of materials - including those relating to the drafting of the Basic Law, court judgments and books on constitutional law - will be made available to the public in one comprehensive collection.
'These materials could contribute to research about the Basic Law,' said a judiciary spokesman. 'We welcome all efforts to gather materials related to the Basic Law.'
Whether information contained in the materials could be used in court cases would be for judges to decide, should the issue be raised, he added.
The opening of the library at City Hall on October 1 will coincide with the start of an exhibition on the history of the 'one country, two systems' concept.
Many original documents will be exhibited for the first time in Hong Kong. They are expected to include the 1842 Treaty of Nanking, under which Hong Kong Island was ceded to Britain. Leases for the New Territories may also be included. The collection will chart the constitutional steps taken between the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the promulgation of the Basic Law. Librarian Chris Kwong Chi-hung said there would be 4,500 volumes of books alone. There would also be a significant collection of law journals, he said.