“The Bar Association and the Hong Kong Law Society last night issued a joint statement categorically denying any link with outside factors, any factors other than the law, involved in the decision of the court.

“There is bias in the views of foreign media ... and the Bar Association and the Law Society have clarified that the court’s decision was not affected by political considerations.”

Read the Hong Kong Court of Appeal’s ruling on Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow, jailed for 2014 protest

Cheung was referring to a rare joint statement by the city’s two biggest groups of legal professionals hitting out at both local and mainland media for suggesting there were political motives behind the prison terms for the trio as well as 13 other democracy activists in a separate case earlier this week.

The two legal bodies often take opposing positions on issues, with the Bar Association seen as a more liberal group that has been known to be critical of the government and Beijing, while the Law Society is perceived as more pro-establishment.

Law Society president Thomas So Shiu-tsung told the Post on Saturday those “allegations were obviously not supported by facts”.

“We issued a joint statement partly because our stance on the judiciary is unanimous ... and the important principles are clear.”

“Unfounded comments that judicial decisions were made or influenced by political considerations originating outside Hong Kong are unjustified and damaging to our legal system, and to Hong Kong as a whole,” the two groups said on Friday

Tiananmen Square protest leader tells Joshua Wong to study in prison as details emerge of Hong Kong activists’ first night behind bar

Law Society council member and former president Stephen Hung Wan-shun told the Post on Saturday that they had made a united stand because “the media went too far in accusing the judges of falling under mainland influence”.

“US politicians and ... media criticised the judges for being influenced by the central government, when we saw that we felt we need to speak up,” Hung said.

Executive Councillor Ronny Tong Ka-wah, a former chairman of the Bar Association, also said it was necessary for the two organisations to set the record straight.

The jailing of the trio on Thursday for storming the government headquarters compound at Tamar in the run-up to the 79-day Occupy protests of 2014 marked the government’s second successful attempt in a week to secure tougher sentences for protesting activists.

Jailing of Hong Kong protesters will further polarise already divided society, pro-democracy lawmaker says

“Don’t let these issues make you feel that our youth policy will be affected,” Cheung said. “Hong Kong’s young people are our future, and as we promised an open attitude in listening to people on different sides of the political spectrum, we won’t change our view because of that.”

The court rulings and the government’s campaign to connect with youth were “two separate issues”, he added, reiterating plans to appoint 20 to 30 of them as advisers to the Central Policy Unit, an official think tank.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor would announce details in her maiden policy address on October 11, he said.