QC to advise on mainland mums
Move seen as a sign the government will try to resolve right of abode issue in the courts
Hong Kong has invited a Queen's Counsel to advise on how to reverse a law that automatically grants right of abode to all babies born to mainland parents in the city.
An expert on the Basic Law said the move was a strong sign the government intended to resolve the matter in the courts.
A few months ago, Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung said seeking a reinterpretation of the relevant Basic Law clauses was not "an appropriate solution".
Yesterday, Yuen said the government had made "positive" progress in its study of the issue and promised it would be completed in "slightly longer than three months".
He did not reveal any solutions the government might have put up to the British barrister.
"Our office has studied all proposed solutions available," Yuen said in Guangzhou. "We can say that we have discussed the issues with relevant local and international legal experts.