https://www.scmp.com/rss/148508/feed Chris Lau is a reporter specialising in court and legal affairs in Hong Kong. From criminal justice to constitutional issues, he brings in the latest updates and in-depth analysis on legal issues that affect all aspects of the city. He also covers human rights issues extensively. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Hong Kong’s “Father of Lan Kwai Fong” Allan Zeman has struck a deal with a mainland Chinese developer in a revived bid to bring his iconic nightlife district to cities across the border amid a greater focus on national integration. The nightlife tycoon will first expand his operations to Zhongshan, before heading to Shenzhen and other mainland cities, according to an agreement he reached on Wednesday with Haiya Group, a multifaceted conglomerate with a business portfolio ranging from real estate... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3212126/hong-kongs-allan-zeman-strikes-deal-mainland-chinese-developer-renewed-bid-expand-nightlife-empire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3212126/hong-kongs-allan-zeman-strikes-deal-mainland-chinese-developer-renewed-bid-expand-nightlife-empire?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Mar 2023 12:07:13 +0000 Hong Kong authorities have slammed another blunder where a song linked to the 2019 protests was used instead of the Chinese national anthem at a sporting event, saying they “strongly deplored” the incident which forced players to intervene at an ice hockey tournament in Europe. The latest mistake took place on Tuesday at the 2023 Ice Hockey World Championship Division III in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, adding to a string of similar events that had caused diplomatic... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3211923/national-anthem-blunder-anger-after-hong-kong-protest-song-played-ice-hockey-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3211923/national-anthem-blunder-anger-after-hong-kong-protest-song-played-ice-hockey-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Mar 2023 06:24:36 +0000 With a penchant for dressing sharply, Hongkonger Berry Chan Kin-wah would sometimes choose a face mask that complemented his outfit. The 25-year-old said he once paid HK$200 (US$25) for 24 face coverings sold exclusively at concerts by the city’s hottest boy band, Mirror, and would queue up for the latest limited-edition runs sold when fashion brands teamed up with mask manufacturers. Hong Kong unmasked: how are residents feeling about showing their faces? “I think it has kind of become a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3211883/panic-buying-lining-limited-edition-designer-runs-hong-kongs-love-hate-relationship-covid-19-masks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3211883/panic-buying-lining-limited-edition-designer-runs-hong-kongs-love-hate-relationship-covid-19-masks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:30:15 +0000 Hong Kong will constantly benchmark itself against London and New York in its aim to remain as a top international financial centre with Western countries having a substantial stake in it, the city’s financial chief has said. Speaking at a South China Morning Post conference on Monday, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also further explained the new capital immigration scheme he introduced in his budget last week, saying it was aimed at enticing some of the world’s wealthiest 5 per cent to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3211680/revitalised-hong-kong-investor-immigration-scheme-unlike-singapore-policy-aims-entice-worlds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3211680/revitalised-hong-kong-investor-immigration-scheme-unlike-singapore-policy-aims-entice-worlds?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Feb 2023 08:41:13 +0000 Hong Kong authorities on Saturday hit out at the United States consulate in the city over its promise to continue to voice its deep concerns over the financial hub’s future and insisted Washington’s “scaremongering” only reflected its “ill intent”. The latest row broke out after a meeting between Liu Guangyuan, commissioner of Beijing’s foreign office in Hong Kong, and US Consul General Gregory May last week, where the Beijing official laid down three red lines for the American diplomat. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3211542/hong-kong-tells-america-stop-scaremongering-over-citys-future-after-beijing-warns-us-consul-general?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3211542/hong-kong-tells-america-stop-scaremongering-over-citys-future-after-beijing-warns-us-consul-general?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Feb 2023 11:46:18 +0000 A stretch of Hong Kong’s harbourfront designated for daily flag-raising ceremonies and annual celebrations of the city’s return to Chinese rule will get a facelift to highlight its “solemn identity and character” under a government proposal. An area covering 1.85 hectares (4.5 acres) – including a 490-metre (1,607 feet) promenade – off the prime site where the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre sits will be zoned as a Celebration Precinct under a revitalisation project, a Development... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3211393/hong-kongs-golden-bauhinia-square-set-makeover-highlight-its-solemn-identity-and-character-according?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3211393/hong-kongs-golden-bauhinia-square-set-makeover-highlight-its-solemn-identity-and-character-according?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Feb 2023 07:02:36 +0000 The number of people remanded in Hong Kong jails pending trial has hit a more than decade high, the correctional services chief has said, although figures for newly admitted prisoners and detained suspects have dropped markedly. Commissioner of Correctional Services Wong Kwok-hing revealed at his department’s annual review briefing on Thursday that the average daily number of people on remand had risen to 2,666 last year from 2,316 in 2021, a previous 10-year high. He said the Correctional... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3211314/number-people-remand-hong-kong-jails-pending-trial-hits-decade-high-figures-new-prisoners-detained?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3211314/number-people-remand-hong-kong-jails-pending-trial-hits-decade-high-figures-new-prisoners-detained?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Feb 2023 15:44:06 +0000 Hong Kong will need more than tax incentives to tackle its low birth rate crisis, even if the government is willing to offer more than it pledged in its budget blueprint, experts in population studies have said. The question over how to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing most advanced economies gained fresh urgency in Hong Kong after Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced in his budget on Wednesday he would raise the child allowance by HK$10,000 (US$1,275) to HK$130,000. From... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3211307/budget-2023-24-tax-incentives-not-enough-reverse-hong-kongs-declining-birth-rate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3211307/budget-2023-24-tax-incentives-not-enough-reverse-hong-kongs-declining-birth-rate?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Feb 2023 14:37:17 +0000 Hong Kong community leaders have dismissed the government’s latest budget blueprint as “hopeless for the needy” despite some lawmakers hailing it as a good allocation of resources. The HK$5,000 (US$637) consumer vouchers for residents, a highlight of Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s speech on Wednesday, would hardly cover the rate of inflation and setbacks suffered by the underprivileged throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, they said. Chan has set aside an annual budget of HK$174 million to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3211155/hong-kong-budget-empty-talk-or-good-resource-allocation-community-heads-say-plan-does-little-needy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3211155/hong-kong-budget-empty-talk-or-good-resource-allocation-community-heads-say-plan-does-little-needy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Feb 2023 13:32:57 +0000 Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po unveiled his annual budget blueprint for Hong Kong on Wednesday with the city seeking to recover from the Covid doldrums, as he spelled out his “moderately liberal” fiscal stance for the coming financial year. Against the backdrop of a contracting economy and sluggish home sales in the past year, Chan announced modest tax breaks, a tweak to the stamp duty for first-time homebuyers, and another round of consumption vouchers, but in smaller sums. With... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3211102/budget-2023-24-happy-hong-kong-tax-breaks-and-eye-sin-6-takeaways-paul-chans-latest-financial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3211102/budget-2023-24-happy-hong-kong-tax-breaks-and-eye-sin-6-takeaways-paul-chans-latest-financial?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Feb 2023 09:18:50 +0000 Hong Kong courts will need the city’s leader permission before a foreign lawyer is allowed to take on a national security case and they will have to reject an application if the chief executive ruled against it, according to landmark legal amendments proposed by the Department of Justice. The chief executive’s rulings, to be issued as certificates, would govern all cases, criminal and civil, related to national security, according to the legislative document made public on Monday. The amendments... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3210874/hong-kong-leader-decide-use-overseas-lawyers-national-security-cases-and-courts-will-be-bound-his?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3210874/hong-kong-leader-decide-use-overseas-lawyers-national-security-cases-and-courts-will-be-bound-his?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Feb 2023 11:52:03 +0000 Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu will visit cities in mainland China on Thursday in a move seen as paving the way for a later trip with other lawmakers to the Greater Bay Area. Lee will visit Guangzhou in the morning and meet senior Guangdong provincial officials to discuss ways to develop high-quality talent in the bay area, the government on Monday said. He is expected to meet officials in Shenzhen in the afternoon to explore opportunities for deepening cooperation among the neighbouring... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3210841/hong-kong-chief-executive-make-whistle-stop-tour-key-greater-bay-area-cities-cement-ties-and-boost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3210841/hong-kong-chief-executive-make-whistle-stop-tour-key-greater-bay-area-cities-cement-ties-and-boost?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Feb 2023 09:05:02 +0000 Hong Kong must prioritise its goals in the Greater Bay Area amid “finite” resources while watching out for the local impact of integration into the fast-moving development zone, an ex-city leader has said. Former chief executive Leung Chun-ying on Monday urged the financial hub to carefully plan its strategy during a speech at the two-day International Bay Area Summit, organised by the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences. “We need to prioritise geography and sectors. Hong Kong cannot cover... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3210815/hong-kong-must-prioritise-greater-bay-area-goals-watch-out-local-impact-integration-ex-city-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3210815/hong-kong-must-prioritise-greater-bay-area-goals-watch-out-local-impact-integration-ex-city-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Feb 2023 06:23:12 +0000 LGBTQ advocates are hopeful that a landmark court ruling on transgender rights in Hong Kong earlier this month will create a legal ripple effect granting greater official recognition for trans people living elsewhere in Asia. Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal ruled on February 6 that it breached transgender people’s rights for the government to require them to undergo full sex reassignment surgery as a precondition for using their preferred gender on their identity cards. A similar surgery... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3210600/hong-kongs-landmark-transgender-ruling-will-rest-asia-now-follow-suit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3210600/hong-kongs-landmark-transgender-ruling-will-rest-asia-now-follow-suit?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Feb 2023 00:30:09 +0000 Freezing weather, crippled infrastructure and loss of communication signals were just some of the harsh realities faced by a 59-member Hong Kong rescue team in quake-stricken Turkey during a nine-day operation. The team returned to the city late Friday night, wrapping up their life-saving mission where they pulled four survivors from the ruins. Team commander Yiu Men-yeung, deputy chief fire officer of the Fire Services Department, recounted the various challenges faced during his first... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3210699/we-just-did-our-best-save-lives-hong-kong-rescue-team-recalls-obstacles-lessons-learned-turkey-quake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3210699/we-just-did-our-best-save-lives-hong-kong-rescue-team-recalls-obstacles-lessons-learned-turkey-quake?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Feb 2023 10:02:07 +0000 China’s top diplomat has thrown his weight behind the establishment of an international mediation organisation in Hong Kong, calling it part of the country’s effort to promote world peace. Wang Yi, the director of China’s Central Foreign Affairs Commission, gave his blessing for the organisation in a letter on Thursday. Wang wrote that in an era of “unilateralism, rampant bullying tactics, security and governance deficit” the world needed “a good recipe to solve problems, the power to build... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3210624/chinas-top-diplomat-backs-hong-kong-international-mediation-centre-city-launches-preparatory-office?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3210624/chinas-top-diplomat-backs-hong-kong-international-mediation-centre-city-launches-preparatory-office?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Feb 2023 12:36:42 +0000 The head of Beijing’s office overseeing Hong Kong affairs has met local officials and politicians to discuss the future of district councils marginalised by authorities after they became opposition strongholds during a wide-ranging discussion on governance. Xia Baolong, the director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, met “relevant people from Hong Kong society” several days ago in Shenzhen to learn about the latest developments in the financial hub, the cabinet-level body on Tuesday... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3210216/high-level-meeting-between-hong-kong-and-beijing-officials-focuses-future-sidelined-district?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3210216/high-level-meeting-between-hong-kong-and-beijing-officials-focuses-future-sidelined-district?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Feb 2023 14:57:36 +0000 Hong Kong authorities will pass a constitutionally required national security law this year or next at the latest, the city’s leader has vowed, although several political veterans have questioned whether it is the best time to implement the bill. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday reiterated that his “position remained unchanged”, a day after pro-Beijing heavyweight Lo Man-tuen said in an op-ed piece that this year was not the right time to pass the bill given the need for Hong Kong to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3210192/hong-kong-leader-john-lee-doubles-down-passing-article-23-national-security-law-year-or-next?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3210192/hong-kong-leader-john-lee-doubles-down-passing-article-23-national-security-law-year-or-next?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Feb 2023 11:54:36 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader has shrugged off concerns over a slump in property stocks on Monday, dismissing assertions the introduction of national security clauses in land sale agreements had sparked the fall. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday said developers fully supported the provisions, noting the government had been selling land as usual since the clauses were put in place in November. Property stocks fell to a six-week low on Monday. The legal provisions warn potential buyers they may be... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3210131/hong-kong-leader-john-lee-shrugs-concerns-over-slump-property-stocks-says-security-clauses-land?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3210131/hong-kong-leader-john-lee-shrugs-concerns-over-slump-property-stocks-says-security-clauses-land?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Feb 2023 05:35:02 +0000 A former domestic helper from overseas was on Friday awarded almost HK$870,000 (US$110,828) in compensation by a court at the end of a 10-year battle for justice after she was beaten with bicycle chains and burned with a hot iron by her brutal husband-and-wife employers. The HK$868,607 in damages given to Kartika Puspitasari by the District Court was the biggest settlement for abuse of foreign domestic workers so far. But a group dedicated to the protection of foreign workers in Hong Kong said... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3209819/domestic-helper-awarded-record-hk870000-damages-horrific-abuse-suffered-hands-hong-kong-husband-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3209819/domestic-helper-awarded-record-hk870000-damages-horrific-abuse-suffered-hands-hong-kong-husband-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Feb 2023 13:26:39 +0000 A lawyer for one of the Hong Kong opposition figures in the city’s biggest national security trial has told the court he expected difficulties in securing expert witnesses to counter those of prosecutors due to “notoriety” surrounding the legal proceedings. Barrister Trevor Beel on Friday complained about prosecutors’ lateness in submitting legal statements from social media experts they wished to rely on later in their case. He argued the delay had “irredeemably prejudiced” the case of his... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3209745/hong-kongs-47-national-security-law-case-defence-barrister-complains-trials-notoriety-difficulty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3209745/hong-kongs-47-national-security-law-case-defence-barrister-complains-trials-notoriety-difficulty?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Feb 2023 06:54:20 +0000 Transgender people in Hong Kong may have scored a victory over gender status on identification documents, but the court ruling has caused confusion over administrative procedures to be followed and when they would be allowed to make alterations to their papers. Question marks over the use of public toilets, changing rooms and hospitals – places transgender people have complained about because they were categorised by the gender on their documents – were highlighted on Tuesday. Transgender people... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3209431/victory-transgender-people-over-hong-kong-id-documents-sparks-confusion-over-administrative?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3209431/victory-transgender-people-over-hong-kong-id-documents-sparks-confusion-over-administrative?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Feb 2023 00:00:14 +0000 Hong Kong’s top court handed down a landmark ruling on Monday finding that authorities’ refusal to allow two transgender people to use their preferred gender on their identity cards without undergoing full reassignment surgery had breached their rights. The ruling, the result of a years-long legal battle, meant the government could no longer impose such surgical procedures – often considered risky by the transgender community – as a precondition for wider gender recognition. “I can live like any... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3209248/top-hong-kong-court-says-landmark-ruling-government-breached-rights-2-transgender-men-preventing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3209248/top-hong-kong-court-says-landmark-ruling-government-breached-rights-2-transgender-men-preventing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Feb 2023 08:44:50 +0000 Prosecutors have accused 47 opposition figures of plotting to turn Hong Kong’s legislature into a “lethal constitutional weapon” against Beijing by organising and participating in an unofficial primary election in 2020, ignoring warnings from central authorities that it ran afoul of the national security law. The prosecutors on Monday began explaining their basis for accusing the 47 of conspiracy to commit subversion, in a high-profile case which has garnered widespread attention both locally... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3209209/national-security-law-16-47-hong-kong-opposition-figures-contest-subversion-charge-major-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3209209/national-security-law-16-47-hong-kong-opposition-figures-contest-subversion-charge-major-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Feb 2023 03:48:53 +0000 Hong Kong took swift action in 2003 after it emerged from the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) outbreak that claimed 299 lives in the city. It assembled a Sars Expert Committee made up of 11 medical experts from Britain, the United States, Australia, mainland China and Hong Kong to examine why the city had been hit so hard, and if there were lessons to learn. The city had recorded 1,755 cases in three months, the second highest in the world after the mainland, and those who died... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3209159/coronavirus-hong-kong-leader-says-no-probe-governments-pandemic-response-so-how-will-city-learn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3209159/coronavirus-hong-kong-leader-says-no-probe-governments-pandemic-response-so-how-will-city-learn?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Feb 2023 00:00:11 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader on Tuesday dismissed calls for an independent investigation into the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, saying there has never been a recognised best solution to the public health crisis. But government health adviser Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, who called for a far-reaching inquiry last week, said he was simply looking for improvements and lessons to be learned, rather than finding a scapegoat. In rejecting the proposal from one of the city’s leading infectious... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3208538/coronavirus-hong-kong-leader-dismisses-need-conduct-independent-review-government-handling-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3208538/coronavirus-hong-kong-leader-dismisses-need-conduct-independent-review-government-handling-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Jan 2023 02:42:36 +0000 Transgender activist Henry Edward Tse is wasting no time in raising awareness about the discrimination his community faces as he waits for Hong Kong’s top court to hand down a far-reaching judgment on his case. The Court of Final Appeal is expected to soon give its ruling on whether the government had wronged Tse by not allowing him to change his official gender on his identity card without a full sex reassignment operation, even though the 31-year-old had his breasts removed and underwent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3208362/i-want-show-diversity-within-hong-kongs-transgender-community-activist-henry-edward-tse-court-battle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3208362/i-want-show-diversity-within-hong-kongs-transgender-community-activist-henry-edward-tse-court-battle?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jan 2023 09:48:03 +0000 There is room for scaling back testing requirements for cross-border travellers between Hong Kong and mainland China, a former leader of the city has said, while a health expert has proposed reviewing the arrangement in two weeks. Leung Chun-ying, now a vice-chairman of national advisory body the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, on Saturday told a radio programme that Covid-19 cases in Hong Kong had so far been kept at bay despite gatherings throughout the Lunar New Year... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3208301/coronavirus-room-exists-further-ease-testing-hong-kong-mainland-china-cross-border-travellers-cy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3208301/coronavirus-room-exists-further-ease-testing-hong-kong-mainland-china-cross-border-travellers-cy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jan 2023 07:52:37 +0000 Former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying has dismissed concerns over the loss of talent to Singapore, saying the outflow is only temporary and companies prefer basing operations in a city that serves as a gateway to the mainland Chinese market. But consulting and recruitment professionals on Saturday cautioned that companies would consider the expenses involved in returning to Hong Kong and noted some firms had laid down roots elsewhere in the region after the pandemic upended traditional supply... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3208293/former-hong-kong-leader-cy-leung-dismisses-concern-over-talent-lost-singapore-hails-explosive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3208293/former-hong-kong-leader-cy-leung-dismisses-concern-over-talent-lost-singapore-hails-explosive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jan 2023 05:04:54 +0000 Thousands of Hong Kong tourists in Japan are facing disruptions to their holiday plans as a “once-in-a-decade” blizzard rips through the country, shutting down railways and major thoroughfares. At least 200 travellers had already experienced some form of delay or changes to their itinerary among some 6,000 people from the city across tour groups in Japan, Fanny Yeung Shuk-fun, executive director of the Travel Industry Council, said on Wednesday. The figure does not take into account independent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3207931/once-decade-blizzard-blows-holiday-plans-thousands-hong-kong-tourists-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3207931/once-decade-blizzard-blows-holiday-plans-thousands-hong-kong-tourists-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jan 2023 04:50:52 +0000 Hong Kong police made an unprecedented move last Wednesday when officers arrested two public hospital doctors and charged them with manslaughter over the death of a patient in 2017 after a medical blunder. While some doctors at private practices in recent years have found themselves on the wrong end of the law for beauty treatments gone badly wrong, the latest incident has prompted debate on whether those in the public sector can be held equally liable. The Post has spoken to several criminal... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3206866/what-arrests-2-hong-kong-doctors-over-medical-blunder-mean-citys-patients-and-healthcare-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3206866/what-arrests-2-hong-kong-doctors-over-medical-blunder-mean-citys-patients-and-healthcare-system?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Jan 2023 06:00:16 +0000 Hong Kong and mainland China have agreed to increase the daily quota of cross-border travellers at land checkpoints by 15,000 to 65,000 each way for the four days before the Lunar New Year break to cope with surging demand. The quotas for travellers in private cars and cross-boundary hire-car services passing through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge would also be doubled to 2,000 daily from January 18 to 21 each way, authorities announced on Saturday. The adjustments were made a day ahead of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3206818/tickets-still-available-over-counter-high-speed-rail-link-between-hong-kong-and-mainland-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3206818/tickets-still-available-over-counter-high-speed-rail-link-between-hong-kong-and-mainland-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Jan 2023 04:23:48 +0000 Hong Kong’s top court is to get its first new foreign judge since the withdrawal of two British Supreme Court justices triggered concerns over confidence in the city’s judiciary last year. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Friday accepted the appointment of Australian judge Patrick Keane after a submission by the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission, a government spokesman said. The retired Australian High Court judge will join the remaining 10 overseas non-permanent judges at Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3206790/retired-top-australian-judge-lined-spot-hong-kongs-court-final-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3206790/retired-top-australian-judge-lined-spot-hong-kongs-court-final-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Jan 2023 15:10:29 +0000 Hong Kong should amend its laws to align them with “overriding” national security legislation, a top Beijing official with responsibility for city affairs has said, as the government moves towards a ban on overseas lawyers in sensitive cases. Xia Baolong, director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, on Friday also underscored the dual mechanism of the national security law that Beijing imposed on the city more than two years ago. The mechanism allows for Hong Kong to have... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3206676/top-beijing-official-urges-hong-kong-government-actively-amend-local-laws-align-them-overriding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3206676/top-beijing-official-urges-hong-kong-government-actively-amend-local-laws-align-them-overriding?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Jan 2023 05:13:50 +0000 A Hong Kong transgender man lives in fear of prosecution every time he uses a public toilet, his lawyer told a court in a legal challenge designed to win wider acceptance for the sexual minority group in gender-specific facilities. Barrister Tim Parker on Thursday argued that government policies had tilted excessively towards public interests, at the expense of his client, identified as K, as he asked the Court of First Instance to redress the balance. He said K, a female to male reassignment,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3206674/transgender-man-fears-prosecution-every-time-he-accesses-public-toilet-hong-kong-court-hears-legal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3206674/transgender-man-fears-prosecution-every-time-he-accesses-public-toilet-hong-kong-court-hears-legal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Jan 2023 05:03:09 +0000 Hong Kong should impose a blanket ban against foreign lawyers taking on national security cases, with no exception for prosecutors, a pro-Beijing heavyweight has said, weighing in on prospective legal amendments by city authorities to limit the practice. Basic Law Committee vice-chairwoman Maria Tam Wai-chu floated the proposal during a television interview on Saturday, a week after Beijing handed the decision-making power to Hong Kong on whether foreign lawyers could take on nationally... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3205974/national-security-law-hong-kong-should-impose-blanket-ban-foreign-lawyers-taking-cases-pro-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3205974/national-security-law-hong-kong-should-impose-blanket-ban-foreign-lawyers-taking-cases-pro-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Jan 2023 16:05:35 +0000 Checkpoint staff on both sides of the border were carrying out last-minute preparations ahead of the long-awaited resumption of quarantine-free travel between Hong Kong and mainland China on Sunday with the city’s commerce chief promising to raise or even remove the 50,000 daily visitor quota if operations run smoothly. More than 6,600 mainland residents had made a booking to visit Hong Kong, including 3,800 via the Futian checkpoint, with peak hours expected from around 8am to 10am and at 2pm,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3205943/cross-border-travel-daily-quota-hongkongers-heading-mainland-land-checkpoints-may-be-raised-or?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3205943/cross-border-travel-daily-quota-hongkongers-heading-mainland-land-checkpoints-may-be-raised-or?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Jan 2023 04:54:32 +0000 Chris Lau Chris Lau Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog has arrested 49 suspects in its largest operation against housing renovation scams, which involved about 10 building projects, with contracts worth up to HK$500 million (US$64 million). A mastermind construction firm allegedly offered bribes to staff at management companies, influential residents and project consultants, ranging from tens of thousands of dollars to HK$1 million, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) revealed on Friday. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3205841/hong-kong-watchdog-arrests-49-suspects-housing-renovation-scam-involving-contracts-worth-hk500?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3205841/hong-kong-watchdog-arrests-49-suspects-housing-renovation-scam-involving-contracts-worth-hk500?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jan 2023 08:22:30 +0000 Hong Kong unveiled a detailed plan on Thursday to gradually reopen its border with mainland China, mapping its exit from three years of tough restrictions that have dealt a severe blow to the city’s tourism and businesses. The government said the initial phase of quarantine-free travel would begin on Sunday, and here the Post breaks down the essential information you need to know before travelling. 1. Will there still be a quota? Yes. To begin, the government will allow 50,000 Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3205742/planning-your-trip-hong-kong-mainland-china-what-you-need-know-you-go-after-authorities-scrap-most?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3205742/planning-your-trip-hong-kong-mainland-china-what-you-need-know-you-go-after-authorities-scrap-most?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Jan 2023 13:30:55 +0000 Hong Kong’s top court should rule that transgender people can change their official gender without requiring they undergo full reassignment surgeries instead of waiting for the legislature to amend the law, a prominent British lawyer has argued. King’s Counsel David Pannick urged justices at the Court of Final Appeal on Wednesday to take the lead, citing the lack of action from the Legislative Council and the government following a landmark court ruling in a transgender case in 2013. Pannick was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3205586/hong-kongs-top-court-urged-grant-transgender-right-id-cards-after-legislature-drags-heels-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3205586/hong-kongs-top-court-urged-grant-transgender-right-id-cards-after-legislature-drags-heels-over?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jan 2023 12:45:14 +0000 Beijing can still exert its influence in disputes involving national security cases in Hong Kong despite last week’s ruling that left power to decide whether foreign lawyers can represent defendants in the hands of city authorities, legal experts have warned. Hong Kong authorities were also unlikely to give up ground in the dispute over whether overseas lawyers should be permitted in such trials, they predicted on Tuesday, although one pro-Beijing lawmaker stressed that in other common law... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3205476/national-security-law-can-beijing-influence-court-disputes-after-decision-leaving-key-power-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3205476/national-security-law-can-beijing-influence-court-disputes-after-decision-leaving-key-power-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jan 2023 00:00:14 +0000 Hong Kong clocked a full year in 2022 under a vastly altered political landscape with a raft of “patriots-only” changes imposed by Beijing to its electoral system. The city set up its first Legislative Council under the new rules, with opposition voices in the chamber absent, and former security chief John Lee Ka-chiu took the top job after running as the only candidate in the leadership poll. As Hong Kong marked the 25th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule, President Xi Jinping visited... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3205304/political-recap-hong-kong-2022-5-events-will-shape-city-governance-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3205304/political-recap-hong-kong-2022-5-events-will-shape-city-governance-years?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jan 2023 08:00:21 +0000 China’s top legislative body has left it to Hong Kong’s leader and a relevant committee to decide whether a defendant in a national security trial should be allowed to use a foreign lawyer in a significant interpretation of the city’s Beijing-imposed law. In clarifying two clauses of the law after Hong Kong’s top court upheld an earlier ruling that allowed jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying to hire a British barrister for his pending national security trial, the National People’s Congress... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3205116/hong-kong-national-security-law-chinas-top-legislative-body-defines-legislation-response-jimmy-lais?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3205116/hong-kong-national-security-law-chinas-top-legislative-body-defines-legislation-response-jimmy-lais?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Dec 2022 11:41:06 +0000 Former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying has lodged a complaint to Google at its office in the city, accusing the American internet giant of “conspiring with criminal syndicates” and advertising financial scams featuring him and other officials. In a Facebook post on late Wednesday, Leung revealed he had visited the company’s local branch in Causeway Bay and spoke through teleconferencing with William Farris, Google’s Taiwan-based managing counsel for Greater China, who vowed to remove the ads in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3204894/former-hong-kong-leader-cy-leung-shows-google-office-city-lodge-complain-about-online-scams-using?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3204894/former-hong-kong-leader-cy-leung-shows-google-office-city-lodge-complain-about-online-scams-using?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Dec 2022 04:10:34 +0000 A Hong Kong lawmaker responsible for writing Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s election platform has been appointed as the head of a newly formed official think tank, with expectations to help the city integrate into national development plans while also avoiding international relations risks. The government on Tuesday announced that Stephen Wong Yuen-shan, 48, would take the helm at the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit starting on Wednesday. The think tank, responsible for conducting research on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3204705/hong-kong-lawmaker-who-wrote-john-lees-election-platform-helm-new-policy-unit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3204705/hong-kong-lawmaker-who-wrote-john-lees-election-platform-helm-new-policy-unit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Dec 2022 12:29:03 +0000 Mainland authorities will start issuing tourist and business visas to allow Chinese nationals to enter Hong Kong starting on January 8, while sources have said the city is set to minimise polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing requirements for inbound travellers. China’s National Immigration Administration on Tuesday said it would also gradually resume land border checkpoints with Hong Kong and Macau, as well as its express immigration channels. The current 3,500-quota system for Hongkongers... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3204668/hong-kong-adjust-covid-19-pcr-testing-rules-reduce-disparity-between-entry-curbs-mainland-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3204668/hong-kong-adjust-covid-19-pcr-testing-rules-reduce-disparity-between-entry-curbs-mainland-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Dec 2022 07:35:52 +0000 Hong Kong must ensure it can handle a possible spike in Covid-19 cases when it fully reopens its border with mainland China, health experts have warned, while the city’s chief executive has pledged that travel will return in a safe and gradual manner. Medical experts on Monday called on authorities to secure enough supply of fever medication and Covid-19 jabs. China’s National Health Commission announced that the mainland would reopen its borders and abandon quarantine measures on January 8 as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3204578/hong-kong-hospital-patients-left-waiting-8-hours-or-more-boxing-day-health-expert-calls-stock-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3204578/hong-kong-hospital-patients-left-waiting-8-hours-or-more-boxing-day-health-expert-calls-stock-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Dec 2022 07:22:07 +0000 A paralysed dancer in Hong Kong has regained some sensation in his limbs after he was seriously injured when a massive TV screen fell on him during a Mirror concert earlier this year, his father has revealed. But Reverend Derek Li Shing-lam, a pastor, said on Sunday that Mo Li Kai-yin had yet to regain any control of his arms and legs five months after the incident at the Hong Kong Coliseum. The pastor told a radio programme that, on one recent occasion, his son had asked family members to place... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3204534/father-injured-hong-kong-mirror-dancer-mo-li-regains-some-sensation-limbs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3204534/father-injured-hong-kong-mirror-dancer-mo-li-regains-some-sensation-limbs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Dec 2022 09:18:28 +0000 Lawyers in Hong Kong and Singapore have sought to downplay a row between the regional rivals after the former’s Department of Justice accused the head of a publicly funded dispute resolution centre in the city state of making “unfair criticisms”. The department on Saturday responded to remarks from Maxwell Chambers chief executive Ban Jiun Ean featured in the Asia Business Law Journal, in which he said clients with contracts lasting for two decades or more would find it difficult to predict the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3204521/top-lawyers-downplay-fracas-after-hong-kong-authorities-hit-back-unfair-criticisms-head-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3204521/top-lawyers-downplay-fracas-after-hong-kong-authorities-hit-back-unfair-criticisms-head-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Dec 2022 04:14:02 +0000 Hong Kong hopes to finish a proposal for fully reopening its border with mainland China by mid-January and begin introducing the changes before the Lunar New Year holiday starts about a week later, the city’s chief executive has said upon his return from talks with state leaders in Beijing. While stressing the date for easing curbs was ultimately up to the central government to decide, John Lee Ka-chiu laid out on Saturday how his government would approach gradually increasing traffic at... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3204486/hong-kong-aims-finalise-plan-reopen-border-mainland-china-mid-january-city-leader-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3204486/hong-kong-aims-finalise-plan-reopen-border-mainland-china-mid-january-city-leader-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Dec 2022 09:00:16 +0000