BILLS on such weighty subjects as the Court of Final Appeal, mandatory provident fund and anti-discrimination dominated the media's coverage of the last session of the Legislative Council.
But in terms of historical significance, the less well-known Block Crown Lease (Cheung Chau) Bill introduced by Andrew Wong Wang-fat should not escape attention.
The bill's passage on Friday night was an important milestone in Hong Kong's history because it was the first time a private bill was passed as an alternative to a government bill which legislators had rejected.
It was a major victory for the council in the fight to wrestle control of its agenda from the administration and an assertion of its might in public policy formulation.
In its own right, the bill is an important piece of legislation because it touches on the fundamentals of private property rights.
Just days before its passage, it acquired additional notoriety as the first bill over which the sponsoring legislator has been sued by an interested party.
The Wong Wai Tsak Tong (the tong), which will be stripped of its ownership of a large chunk of land on Cheung Chau by the new law, has filed a writ against both the Government and Mr Wong for introducing their respective bills, alleging they are inconsistent with the Bill of Rights.
