bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Edward Yang Liu

Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal Geoffrey Ma Tao-li recently issued an 18-page statement, widely seen as a response to the pro-establishment camp’s criticism of the judiciary because of recent rulings in cases related to the social unrest.
While Ma explained how the Basic Law safeguards judicial independence, he did not use the opportunity to directly comment – or wisely avoided it – on the recent controversy over whether “separation of powers” exists in Hong Kong. More importantly and unfortunately, Ma also failed to answer the question raised by the retired Court of Final Appeal judge Henry Litton in his column in the Post: for Hong Kong’s sake, how can the judiciary regain Beijing’s trust?
After the deletion of the expression “separation of powers” from secondary school liberal studies textbooks, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor insisted that separation of powers did not exist in Hong Kong, the first time the Hong Kong government has expressly denied the principle applies to the city.
The Bar Association responded with a public statement contending that the Basic Law provides for it. Dennis Kwok Wing-hang, a practising barrister who represents the legal functional constituency in the Legislative Council, said separation of powers was a fundamental constitutional principle in the common law system and that denying that it exists was disrespectful to the Hong Kong judiciary.

In fact, the Basic Law explicitly mentions neither “separation of powers” nor “executive-led”. The Bar Association’s statement referred to a few articles of the Basic Law, which state that the government must abide by the law and be accountable to the Legislative Council, and that the judiciary “shall exercise judicial power independently, free from any interference”.
The statement, however, overlooks Article 43, which stipulates that the chief executive shall be the “head of the Hong Kong special administrative region and shall represent the region”. Accordingly, the chief executive’s status is parallel to the “three powers” under the Basic Law.
This was also the legal basis of the proposition raised in 2015 by Zhang Xiaoming, then director of the central government’s liaison office, that the chief executive had a “special legal position which transcends executive, legislature and judiciary”.
Regardless of whether Hong Kong adopts an “executive-led” or a “separation of powers” regime, checks and balances have always been in place – the Legislative Council cooperates with and scrutinises the administration of Hong Kong by the government, while the courts at all levels review the administration through judicial reviews. The chief executive represents Hong Kong and is accountable to both the central government and Hongkongers.
More importantly, both the central and the Hong Kong governments have never revoked the checks and balances of the Legislative Council on the Hong Kong government, nor have they cast doubt on “judicial independence” as a core value and basic consensus of Hong Kong society.


Is “checks and balances” equivalent to “separation of powers”? Many people have mistakenly think so, believing that separation of powers is the only ideal political system.
In fact, checks and balances are only one aspect of modern government. In this regard, both “decentralisation” and “cooperation” should be taken into account. Cooperation comprises political consensus and awareness of rules.
For Hong Kong’s chief executive, the executive authorities, legislature and judiciary, the fundamental consensus should be upholding “one country, two systems” under the Constitution and the Basic Law; their respective powers must be exercised within the boundaries of the Basic Law, and behaviours that violate the law must be avoided, such as advocating for Hong Kong independence and attracting foreign interference.
Not to burst anyone’s bubble, but separation of powers is a non-issue
Was Dennis Kwok correct to say separation of powers originated in the English common law system? The United Kingdom never made such a clear distinction between executive, legislative and judicial powers. So far, all British cabinet members are members of Parliament. The UK Supreme Court was only separated from the House of Lords in 2009.
Despite this, there is proper coordination and balance between the UK executive and legislative branches, and this does not hinder the judiciary from exercising its powers independently. Thus, separation of powers is not the only way to achieve checks and balances, and an executive-led regime will not necessarily undermine judicial independence.

Whenever debates on separation of powers arise, Hong Kong’s legal profession and society become anxious about judicial independence. The Basic Law has allowed “the laws previously in force in Hong Kong” to be maintained, vested Hong Kong with “independent judicial power, including that of final adjudication”, and authorised our courts to interpret on their own, in adjudicating cases, the provisions of the Basic Law which are within the limits of Hong Kong’s autonomy.
As Litton observed, some Hong Kong lawyers have developed “an alarming blindness to realities on the ground”, which “chisels away the edifices of law and order”, resulting in Article 44 of the new national security law – which “places responsibility for choosing judicial officers to handle national security cases with the chief executive, not the chief justice”.
So, how can Hong Kong’s judiciary regain Beijing’s trust? Litton called for a “radical change”; this doesn’t mean that judges give up their adherence to the rule of law and become vassals of the regime, because that would violate the Basic Law.
On the contrary, judicial officers should promote the development of Hong Kong common law in the practice of “one country, two systems” with courage, the public’s understanding of the rule of law, and serve as the cornerstone safeguarding Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability, thus ensuring the long-term stability of “one country, two systems”.
Edward Liu is qualified as a solicitor of England & Wales as well as a lawyer of the People’s Republic of China. He is also a registered foreign lawyer practising in Hong Kong.


Hong Kong does not need separation of powers to maintain judicial independence

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng (left), Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal Geoffrey Ma (centre) and Philip Dykes, chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association, attend the ceremonial opening of legal year at City Hall in Central on January 13. Photo: Sam Tsang

Lawmaker Dennis Kwok Wing-hang meets the press at the Legislative Council Complex, Tamar. 08MAY20 SCMP / Dickson Lee

epa07848854 Protesters hold banner depicting British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, as they gather outside of the Supreme Court in London, Britain, 17 September 2019. The Supreme Court is due to rule on 19 September whether the suspension of parliament by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was lawful. EPA-EFE/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA

Opinion

Comment

News

Hong Kong


While any suggestion that Hong Kong’s political system lacks separation of powers raises anxieties about the independence of the judiciary, the latter is explicitly provided for in the Basic Law along with other checks and balances



While any suggestion that Hong Kong’s political system lacks separation of powers raises anxieties about the independence of the judiciary, the latter is explicitly provided for in the Basic Law along with other checks and balances.


Hong Kong Basic Law

Hong Kong politics

Legislative Council of Hong Kong

Hong Kong courts

Hong Kong national security law (NSL)

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Column

Opinion | Hong Kong does not need separation of powers to maintain judicial independence

While any suggestion that Hong Kong’s political system lacks separation of powers raises anxieties about the independence of the judiciary, the latter is explicitly provided for in the Basic Law along with other checks and balances