My Take | Hong Kong’s legal system is, in a sense, in the dock as well as Jimmy Lai
- As the city’s “trial of the century” attracts unprecedented interest both here and overseas, justice must not only be done, but be seen to be done
The long-awaited trial of media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has, understandably, attracted unprecedented levels of interest both in Hong Kong and overseas.
Lai, 76, is the most prominent person arrested under the city’s controversial national security law. He has spent three years in custody waiting for his trial on charges of colluding with foreign forces and sedition.
That day arrived on Monday. It was preceded by a familiar war of words between Western governments and Beijing. The trial was condemned by the United States, Britain, Canada and the European Union, with calls for Lai to be released.
Beijing and the Hong Kong government hit back, with China’s embassy in the UK describing the tycoon as “a major plotter and instigator of the anti-China riots in Hong Kong”.
Such comments, on both sides, are not conducive to the conduct of a fair trial. Judges are well-used to putting such remarks out of their minds and focusing on the evidence.
But the exchanges risk a perception the court has been influenced by external pressure. Justice must not only be done, but be seen to be done. The three judges, approved for national security cases by Hong Kong’s leader, should be left to get on with the job.