The big constitutional controversies which have beset Hong Kong since the handover have prompted calls from the government for us all to better understand the Basic Law. But this is easier said than done.
Almost everything which happens in this city is, one way or another, governed by this unique legal document. But the history behind it remains surprisingly elusive. Much of the material needed to shed light on its 160 provisions has been difficult even for law professors to find.
This has justifiably been described as a monumental oversight. It has arguably fuelled conflicts over the right of abode, national security laws, civil service pay and political reform, to name just a few. The Basic Law has been the battleground, but its provisions are often vague and their precise meaning difficult to discern.
Judges, lawmakers, academics and anyone bringing a court action concerning the Basic Law can only benefit from access to the source material.
So the opening of a new library today, devoted to the Basic Law, is a ground-breaking step. On display at City Hall will be the most comprehensive set of documents concerning Hong Kong's constitution ever to be made available to the public.
It includes documents relating to the secretive drafting process in the 1980s and the various committees concerned with putting in place the new constitutional framework for Hong Kong. Thousands of volumes of relevant law books have been purchased and they will be available at the library along with journal articles and court judgments. This material will hopefully unlock some of the hidden secrets of the Basic Law.
But the collection is not yet complete. Some of those secrets remain under lock and key. A potentially important haul of documents donated by a mainland legal expert and former Basic Law Drafting Committee member cannot go on display until they have been vetted by mainland officials.