Extending term of power for leaders ‘usually won’t end well’, Hong Kong Bar Association head Philip Dykes warns
Human rights lawyer raises concerns about the rule of law in city, following recent moves in the national legislature
Extending the term a leader could stay in power by amending the country’s constitution would “usually” not end well, Hong Kong Bar Association council chairman Philip Dykes warned on Monday.
His comments came after a constitutional amendment bill over the removal of term limits for China’s presidency was read out during the annual sitting of the nation’s legislature in Beijing.
Philip Dykes elected new head of Hong Kong Bar Association in upset win
After giving a speech on the rule of law in Hong Kong at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Dykes said the constitutional amendments might not go as planned.
“Extended terms of power brought about by a change to the constitution don’t usually end well,” the newly elected head of the city’s legal body said without further elaborating.
Dykes also refused to say if such a move would affect the rule of law in Hong Kong. “Let’s see if this happens,” he said.
