National security law: Hong Kong police’s sweeping new powers include warrant-free raids and ordering internet firms such as Facebook to remove content

Police can raid premises without a court warrant, seize equipment from social media giants and demand information from political groups operating outside city

Failure to comply with new regulations decided at meeting of Committee for Safeguarding National Security will lead to HK$100,000 fine, up to two years in jail

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Police have wide-ranging new powers under the national security legislation that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong at the end of last month. Photo: AFP

Ng Kang-chung,Lilian ChengandTony Cheung

Published: 12:16am, 7 Jul 2020Updated: 12:50pm, 7 Jul 2020

Hong Kong police can raid premises without a court warrant, order internet firms to remove content or seize their equipment, and demand information from political groups operating outside the city under sweeping new powers granted by the national security law.

Failure to comply will result in a fine of HK$100,000 (US$12,900) and up to two years’ imprisonment, according to seven new implementation regulations for enforcement agencies gazetted on Monday.

The new regulations were decided at the first meeting of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security, chaired by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, with the city’s police, security, finance, justice and immigration chiefs as members.

Beijing’s top official in Hong Kong, Luo Huining, who is director of the central government’s liaison office in the city, also attended in his capacity as Lam’s national security adviser.

The new rules are scary, as they grant power to the police force that are normally guarded by the judiciary

Barrister Anson Wong Yu-yat

The new body was set up in Hong Kong to oversee the enforcement of the controversial legislation which prohibits acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign and external forces to endanger national security. The maximum sentence for breaking the law is life imprisonment.

Under the new implementation rules, police are required to apply to a magistrate for a warrant to enter and search any premises for evidence, but “under exceptional circumstances, a police officer not below the rank of assistant commissioner of police may authorise his officers to enter the relevant place and search for evidence without a warrant”.