https://www.scmp.com/rss/326301/feed Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah has been embroiled in a controversy about illegal structures since January 6, her first day in office, when news emerged of 10 unauthorised extensions to her and her husband's home in Tuen Mun. Cheng claims the four illegal structures were there when she bought the three-storey property in 2008. The scandal widened when new evidence emerged that she had bought a HK$62 million (US$8 million) luxury flat in Repulse Bay with a deed specifying... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong will be home to the world’s first international legal organisation dedicated to mediation, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arriving in the city on Thursday to attend the signing ceremony the next day for the body’s inauguration. Experts told the Post that the establishment of the International Organisation for Mediation would bolster Hong Kong’s status as a dispute resolution hub, enabling the city to handle disagreements between states, as well as those between investors and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3312314/how-will-hosting-international-organisation-mediation-benefit-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3312314/how-will-hosting-international-organisation-mediation-benefit-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 May 2025 10:00:49 +0000 Jess Ma,Harvey Kong,Willa Wu Jess Ma,Harvey Kong,Willa Wu Hong Kong police will deploy officers from the counterterrorism and VIP protection units to bolster security for top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi and international representatives who are attending a ceremony for the establishment of an intergovernmental mediation body, the Post has learned. Wang arrived in the city on Thursday afternoon, a day before the signing ceremony for the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organisation for Mediation at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Wan Chai. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3312259/top-chinese-diplomat-wang-yi-arrives-hong-kong-ahead-mediation-body-launch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3312259/top-chinese-diplomat-wang-yi-arrives-hong-kong-ahead-mediation-body-launch?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 May 2025 05:55:12 +0000 A leading engineering service provider set up by the husband of Hong Kong’s former justice secretary Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah is facing a fine of HK$150 million (US$19.1 million) for breaching the city’s competition law in the heaviest penalty of its kind. In a statement on Friday, the Competition Commission said ATAL Building Services Engineering of Analogue Holdings, set up by Otto Poon Lok-to, Cheng’s husband, had admitted liability in air-conditioning cartel cases and accepted cooperation... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3198379/company-owned-husband-former-hong-kong-justice-chief-teresa-cheng-fined-hk150-million-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3198379/company-owned-husband-former-hong-kong-justice-chief-teresa-cheng-fined-hk150-million-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Nov 2022 02:21:35 +0000 Beijing will set up an office in Hong Kong to prepare for the establishment of a government-level international mediation body, a move praised by a former justice minister, who said the decision would cement the city’s status as a global dispute resolution centre. Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, an arbitration specialist who stepped down as the secretary for justice in June, on Wednesday said the plan, which involves several other countries, was an acknowledgement of the city’s wealth of experience in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3198198/former-justice-secretary-welcomes-beijing-move-establish-hong-kong-international-mediation-centre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3198198/former-justice-secretary-welcomes-beijing-move-establish-hong-kong-international-mediation-centre?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Nov 2022 00:00:18 +0000 Hong Kong’s incoming leader John Lee Ka-chiu announced on Sunday his newly formed cabinet which has been approved by Beijing, hailing it as a “diversified team” that showcased professionalism, commitment and international vision. Among the 21 key figures appointed under the Principal Officials Accountability System, seven are from the incumbent administration and two have been promoted from undersecretary. Another six were currently serving or recently retired civil servants, while a further six... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3182291/who-will-help-john-lee-run-hong-kong-quick-guide-old-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3182291/who-will-help-john-lee-run-hong-kong-quick-guide-old-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jun 2022 13:46:20 +0000 There is much talk on the political circuit in Hong Kong about who will lose their place and who will join chief executive-elect John Lee Ka-chiu’s ruling team come July 1. It is rumoured that a number of legislators have been recruited to join the other side of the aisle, answering lawmakers’ questions in their new role as government officials. That seems like a natural career progression. Their political position – being pro-establishment – will remain intact. They will just transition from... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3180319/can-john-lee-learn-carrie-lams-mistakes-and-rebuild-public-trust?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3180319/can-john-lee-learn-carrie-lams-mistakes-and-rebuild-public-trust?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jun 2022 22:45:23 +0000 Hong Kong’s incoming leader John Lee Ka-chiu is finalising his governing team after selecting his top three ministers, and is expected to unveil his line-up in the second half of the month, the Post has learned. Multiple sources said Eric Chan Kwok-ki, director of the Chief Executive’s Office, was likely to be nominated as chief secretary, while Paul Chan Mo-po would continue to serve as finance chief. Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah is also highly likely to serve in the next... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3180226/hong-kongs-john-lee-finalising-team-selects-ministers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3180226/hong-kongs-john-lee-finalising-team-selects-ministers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jun 2022 13:05:36 +0000 Hong Kong’s justice chief has lashed out at foreign critics of a recent national security police operation that prompted the closure of an online news platform, accusing them of making “baseless allegations” regarding the state of press freedom in the city. Secretary of Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah on Friday became the latest official to defend the operation, which saw the arrests of several people linked to the opposition-leaning website Stand News. The portal subsequently ceased all... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3161692/hong-kong-justice-chief-lashes-out-critics-stand-news?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3161692/hong-kong-justice-chief-lashes-out-critics-stand-news?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Dec 2021 06:55:47 +0000 Hong Kong will not immediately enact mainland China’s anti-sanctions law after its adoption is approved later in August as it will still require local legislation to adapt it to suit the city’s needs, the Post has learned. Sources familiar with the matter gave this undertaking even as several business leaders and analysts called for caution, urging authorities to ensure the application of the law would not threaten the interests of Hong Kong-based multinational technology conglomerates, along... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143847/chinas-move-impose-anti-sanctions-law-hong-kong-will-not-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143847/chinas-move-impose-anti-sanctions-law-hong-kong-will-not-be?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Aug 2021 00:00:31 +0000 Hong Kong’s justice minister has sought to ease anxiety over the implications for financial institutions when the city adopts Beijing’s anti-sanctions law, saying the legislation will be used only in retaliation for punitive actions taken by foreign governments. In an interview with the Post and other media on Tuesday following her recent trip to the Chinese capital, Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah said: “I know some of us may be very concerned. But I think we shouldn’t be too... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143705/anti-sanctions-law-will-be-wielded-care-hong-kong-justice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143705/anti-sanctions-law-will-be-wielded-care-hong-kong-justice?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Aug 2021 23:00:18 +0000 Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng is right to call out the US government advice on the alleged increased risk of doing business in Hong Kong, as it reeks of hypocrisy (“The facts show Hong Kong remains a place for business to thrive”, July 22). The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (AmCham) – which recently acquired its own office here instead of just renting, thus showing its intention to stay put – released in May the results of a poll which indicated that most American businesses did... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3143169/hong-kong-justice-chief-did-well-call-out-us-business-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3143169/hong-kong-justice-chief-did-well-call-out-us-business-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jul 2021 22:30:10 +0000 Hong Kong’s legal professionals looking to get a foot in the door in mainland China are set for a boost this week, with the city’s justice minister set to visit Beijing for policy discussions and to sign cooperation deals on cross-border exchanges. Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah will travel to Beijing on Tuesday for a four-day trip to meet officials from various ministries and authorities, according to a government statement. “She will also sign a number of cooperation arrangements... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3142576/hong-kong-justice-minister-teresa-cheng-set-travel-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3142576/hong-kong-justice-minister-teresa-cheng-set-travel-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jul 2021 10:34:04 +0000 The proposal by Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah that legal officers in her department, who may be barristers or solicitors, should be eligible for appointment as senior counsel, or “silk”, seeks to rectify a long-standing anomaly. If a legal officer is a solicitor, he or she cannot currently apply for the rank of senior counsel, irrespective of actual practice. If, therefore, a solicitor is undertaking responsibilities at the highest level to an impeccable standard, which can and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3137528/why-justice-secretarys-senior-counsel-push-has-merit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3137528/why-justice-secretarys-senior-counsel-push-has-merit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jun 2021 01:15:00 +0000 The division of lawyers in Hong Kong into solicitors and barristers dates back to the early days of British rule. They generally have different responsibilities and are governed by separate rules. Each branch regulates itself. At times, over the years, there have been calls for the distinction to be removed as in other parts of the world. But the split profession has survived. One of the distinguishing features of barristers is that they, unlike solicitors, can be appointed Senior Counsel by the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3137749/think-hard-blurring-line-between-barristers-and-solicitors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3137749/think-hard-blurring-line-between-barristers-and-solicitors?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jun 2021 18:14:14 +0000 Hong Kong’s justice minister is lobbying for her department’s legal officers to qualify for promotion to the rank of senior counsel under a proposal that has raised concerns about the wider potential for the city’s solicitors to eventually join an exclusive club open only to top barristers. Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah on Wednesday said she was determined to instil fairness in a system that allowed only barristers to be promoted to senior counsel and deprived solicitors in her... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3136708/hong-kong-justice-minister-lobbies-her-solicitors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3136708/hong-kong-justice-minister-lobbies-her-solicitors?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jun 2021 15:41:23 +0000 A vetting committee set up under Beijing’s overhaul of Hong Kong’s electoral system to screen out candidates deemed “unpatriotic” will consider previous actions and words by an individual, the city’s justice minister has said, adding however that disqualifications may not necessarily indicate a breach of the national security law. Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah said the new committee would receive advice from police’s national security unit and a commission led by the chief... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3128210/past-actions-words-candidates-will-be-considered-vetting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3128210/past-actions-words-candidates-will-be-considered-vetting?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Apr 2021 06:02:19 +0000 Opposition politicians would still be able to offer “rational, fact-based criticisms” while running for public office, Hong Kong’s justice minister said on Saturday, as she defended Beijing’s coming shake-up of the city’s electoral system amid further international condemnation. Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah’s remarks followed those of the city’s leader, who said time would prove Hong Kong still had autonomy after China’s top legislature on Thursday passed sweeping reforms to ensure only “patriots”... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3125335/hong-kong-elections-reform-opposition-can-still-offer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3125335/hong-kong-elections-reform-opposition-can-still-offer?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Mar 2021 11:17:34 +0000 Hong Kong’s justice minister on Saturday hit back at unspecified media reports that she said were prejudiced in their characterisation of prosecutors’ recent efforts to secure tougher sentences for those convicted of crimes relating to 2019’s social unrest. In a blog post, Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah accused the reports of “repeatedly [resorting] to biased language” when covering prosecutors’ appeals and sentencing reviews against protesters. “Some media, without regard to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3120845/hong-kong-justice-minister-accuses-unnamed-media-outlets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3120845/hong-kong-justice-minister-accuses-unnamed-media-outlets?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Feb 2021 11:09:42 +0000 I refer to “Former top prosecutor in Hong Kong calls on UK foreign minister to apologise to barrister trying opposition figures” (January 19). To my surprise, I have heard little mention in Hong Kong of the relevance of the cab rank rule, which ensures that any client can seek quality legal representation of their choice. Upholding the cab rank rule is vital because it is an indivisible part of the tradition, integrity and independence of the bar. Contrary to British Foreign Minister Dominic... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3120193/why-british-barrister-who-accepted-hong-kong-job-was-far-mercenary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3120193/why-british-barrister-who-accepted-hong-kong-job-was-far-mercenary?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Feb 2021 23:25:05 +0000 While I agree with the fundamental premise of your editorial of January 21, “Unfair pressure on top British barrister”, namely that Hong Kong’s legal system should not be politicised, in the current instance the government doesn’t have a leg to stand on. Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah was outraged at the withdrawal of British Queen’s Counsel David Perry from his appointment to lead the prosecution case against nine high-profile members of the community, including several with long... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3119358/double-standards-still-rule-hong-kong-outrage-over-qcs-exit-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3119358/double-standards-still-rule-hong-kong-outrage-over-qcs-exit-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Jan 2021 22:25:06 +0000 A top barrister from London tasked with prosecuting high-profile opposition activists in Hong Kong has pulled out of the case, prompting the city’s justice minister to hit back at the British government for its “disgraceful” attacks and political pressure that led to the surprise move. Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah on Wednesday warned against a trend of wider interference in the independent functioning of the legal professions in both Hong Kong and Britain after David Perry QC... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3118452/hong-kong-protests-queens-counsel-hired-prosecute-jimmy-lai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3118452/hong-kong-protests-queens-counsel-hired-prosecute-jimmy-lai?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Jan 2021 04:49:30 +0000 The opening of the new legal year lacked some of its traditional pomp and ceremony. The event on Monday was scaled back and streamed online to guard against Covid-19, but the significance of the occasion for Hong Kong should not be lost on the community. This year, it saw a new chief justice take charge, the first change of leadership for a decade. Mr Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung steps up at a most challenging time. In his maiden speech, the veteran judge underlined the importance of upholding... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3117459/hong-kongs-new-chief-justice-deserves-societys-full-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3117459/hong-kongs-new-chief-justice-deserves-societys-full-support?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Jan 2021 13:52:13 +0000 Pro-Beijing heavyweight Tam Yiu-chung has doubled down on calls to reform Hong Kong’s judiciary, expressing regret that “judicial independence” has been misinterpreted as “an independent judicial kingdom”. Tam, the city’s sole deputy to the country’s top legislative body, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, also asked judges not to regard themselves as “elites”, adding they should make “down-to-earth” rulings that suited the prevailing situation in society. His comments, made in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3116411/hong-kong-not-independent-judicial-kingdom-pro-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3116411/hong-kong-not-independent-judicial-kingdom-pro-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Jan 2021 14:49:50 +0000 A senior deputy director of public prosecutions in Hong Kong has been appointed to the top job in an acting capacity following the resignation of David Leung Cheuk-yin after a dispute with the justice minister over the running of the division. Senior counsel William Tam Yiu-ho, 52, who joined the Department of Justice in 1994, was made acting director of public prosecutions “for administrative convenience” on New Year’s Eve, according to the government gazette. Tam, an alumnus of Melbourne’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3116159/role-top-prosecutor-hong-kong-be-filled-deputy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3116159/role-top-prosecutor-hong-kong-be-filled-deputy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jan 2021 16:19:38 +0000 Mike Rowse makes some very good points in his column “Reaction to Hong Kong’s mass coronavirus testing reveals city’s Pavlovian politics” (September 7). Both sides are indeed to blame. Mutual suspicion and contempt define our zeitgeist. Alas, the national security law protects only government ministers when it comes to showing contempt for others – anyone similarly wishing to show contempt for a government minister could now be committing the offence of sedition. The government’s dismissal of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3102060/after-hong-kongs-national-security-law-was-passed-contempt-has?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3102060/after-hong-kongs-national-security-law-was-passed-contempt-has?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2020 22:35:15 +0000 Hong Kong’s justice minister has argued that it is an “oversimplification” to suggest that the concept of “separation of powers” is a given, as the city’s executive-led political system has been repeatedly affirmed by the courts. Weighing in on the debate around the sensitive term in a commentary published in the Post on Wednesday, Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah listed the various interpretations of “separation of powers” in other governmental models, before arriving at the point... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3100711/justice-minister-teresa-cheng-wades-separation-powers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3100711/justice-minister-teresa-cheng-wades-separation-powers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2020 23:00:18 +0000 Hong Kong’s justice minister appears to have personally stepped in to seek the cancellation of a private prosecution against a police officer who shot a protester during an anti-government demonstration last year, drawing criticisms that her move overrode the rule of law. Democratic Party lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung, who filed the legal bid against the policeman, said he was furious at Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah’s move, and was considering applying for a judicial review over her... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3097874/hong-kong-justice-secretary-assumes-conduct-case-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3097874/hong-kong-justice-secretary-assumes-conduct-case-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Aug 2020 15:54:19 +0000 Hong Kong’s justice minister has offered the clearest indication yet on the role of foreign judges in court cases involving national security, saying that citizenship would not affect their appointment to hearings. But Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah declined on Tuesday to say if a foreign judge had been appointed, nor would she address media reports that Indian-born principal magistrate Bina Chainrai was removed from a list of recommended judges because she was not ethnic Chinese. Cheng, with Secretary... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3092233/hong-kong-national-security-law-citizenship-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3092233/hong-kong-national-security-law-citizenship-not?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Jul 2020 15:10:37 +0000 The most baffling point of the national security law is that Hongkongers, the key stakeholders, were left completely uninformed of any details before being informed of its passage, which makes it absolutely unacceptable. If this is not authoritarian or totalitarian, tell me what is. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor herself said she was not clear about the law as she didn’t have the details, yet she urged the public to support it before its passage. How could one show approval of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3091687/hong-kong-people-let-down-lack-leadership-and-answers-security-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3091687/hong-kong-people-let-down-lack-leadership-and-answers-security-law?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jul 2020 23:00:08 +0000 Hong Kong’s justice minister has suggested the city’s leader can appoint a group of judges for a pool of professionals that can be drawn from to hear national security cases, rather than picking a specific judge each time. Seeking to calm fears over Beijing’s reported move to have the chief executive appoint judges to hear the cases, Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah on Monday tried to reassure the public that it would not undermine the city’s judicial independence. “My view [on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3090128/hong-kong-national-security-law-justice-minister-seeks-calm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3090128/hong-kong-national-security-law-justice-minister-seeks-calm?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jun 2020 12:12:13 +0000 Hong Kong prosecutors are obliged to stop criminal proceedings launched by private residents if they are spurred by “improper” intent or political considerations, the city’s justice secretary has said. Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah hinted on Tuesday that the Department of Justice could consider intervening in a string of high-profile private prosecution proceedings initiated in recent months, including those related to last year’s social unrest. Since February, cases have been... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3089281/hong-kong-justice-secretary-says-improper-intent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3089281/hong-kong-justice-secretary-says-improper-intent?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jun 2020 09:40:48 +0000 The ministerial reshuffle announced in late April by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was received with a mixture of indifference and cynicism. After all, most people thought Lam herself should have been the first to go rather than the five who actually lost their jobs (one of whom was moved sideways to an equivalent position). Yet the real significance of the exercise may have been missed: it effectively marked the death of the system of ministerial accountability. The system was... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3088782/when-hong-kongs-three-worst-performing-ministers-have-survived?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3088782/when-hong-kongs-three-worst-performing-ministers-have-survived?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jun 2020 06:30:13 +0000 The terms in which Hong Kong’s Justice Secretary Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah attacked US President Donald Trump’s statement that Hong Kong has lost its autonomy show that Cheng has a poor understanding of what Hong Kong’s autonomy is supposed to be, and an even worse understanding of what a free society is. At the heart of “one country, two systems” is the idea that Hong Kong keeps freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, and the rule of law, which do not exist in the mainland. The essence of free... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3087687/hong-kong-national-security-law-why-us-right-say-city-has-lost-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3087687/hong-kong-national-security-law-why-us-right-say-city-has-lost-its?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jun 2020 23:25:14 +0000 Any decision to prosecute suspects under the new national security law that Beijing is tailor-making for Hong Kong will rest with the city’s Department of Justice, instead of its mainland Chinese counterpart, Hong Kong’s justice minister has promised. Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah pledged on Monday that the Hong Kong government would raise its concerns with China’s top legislative body, the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, if common law principles and human rights safeguards were not... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3087053/hong-kongs-justice-department-will-make-all-decisions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3087053/hong-kongs-justice-department-will-make-all-decisions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2020 14:00:22 +0000 Hong Kong’s justice minister has expressed shock over an attack by protesters on a lawyer during Sunday’s demonstration against Beijing’s proposed national security law, while the head of the city’s barristers called the act deplorable. Protesters badly beat up lawyer Chan Tsz-chin, a partner at Cheung and Liu Solicitors, after he argued with them as they created roadblocks on Lee Garden Road in Causeway Bay, according to the police. Video clips widely circulated on social media showed several... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3086016/hong-kong-justice-chief-teresa-cheng-citys-law-society?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3086016/hong-kong-justice-chief-teresa-cheng-citys-law-society?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2020 16:23:52 +0000 Senior Hong Kong officials have blasted suggestions the arrests of 15 pro-democracy figures for their roles in unlawful protests were politically motivated as they insisted the charges would not be dropped. Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung and Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah used two blog posts on Sunday to reject international and domestic criticism of the rounding up earlier this month of barrister Martin Lee Chu-ming and media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, as well as 13... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3081597/hong-kong-justice-secretary-and-no-2-official-say-unlawful?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3081597/hong-kong-justice-secretary-and-no-2-official-say-unlawful?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2020 06:36:44 +0000 Justice minister Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah has said Hong Kong’s top judge was the best person to confirm that mainland Chinese authorities did not interfere in the legal system, as she responded to a report questioning the city’s judicial independence. Cheng said the independence of the judiciary, which is guaranteed under the Basic Law, was intact, adding that politics never came into consideration when it came to appointing judges. In recent years years, there have been instances of Beijing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3080404/hong-kong-justice-secretary-defends-independence-citys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3080404/hong-kong-justice-secretary-defends-independence-citys?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2020 07:32:37 +0000 Philip Dykes, chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association, in his speech at the opening of the 2020 legal year, reminded the authorities that not all of those accused of offences related to anti-government protests needed to be taken to court, and that cases could be dropped if they were not in the public interest (“‘Take public interest into account on whether to bring cases to court,’ head of Bar Association says”, January 13). He added that the Prosecution Code published by the Department of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3046316/hong-kong-protester-trials-case-mercy-young-and-less-culpable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3046316/hong-kong-protester-trials-case-mercy-young-and-less-culpable?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jan 2020 23:25:14 +0000 It has been weeks since the police’s confrontation with protesters near Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the protesters’ last stand. One must now be worried about the aftermath and what our young people will face. The government will trumpet the “rule of law” but that alone will not solve Hong Kong’s problems. I hope justice will be delivered along with the rule of law, even under “one country, two systems”. In a foreword to “Symposium on Law and Philosophy” entitled “Can justice and the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3041705/when-dealing-hong-kong-protesters-rule-law-must-deliver-justice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3041705/when-dealing-hong-kong-protesters-rule-law-must-deliver-justice?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Dec 2019 22:55:12 +0000 A listed engineering company controlled by the husband of Hong Kong’s justice minister is being investigated for allegedly breaching competition laws, it was disclosed on Thursday night. Analogue Holdings, founded by Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah’s husband, Otto Poon Lok-to, announced that officers from the Competition Commission visited the office of its wholly owned subsidiary ATAL Building Services Engineering on Wednesday with two search warrants. It said the commission had reasonable cause to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3040847/company-controlled-hong-kong-justice-chief-teresa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3040847/company-controlled-hong-kong-justice-chief-teresa?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Dec 2019 22:45:13 +0000 Hong Kong’s justice minister has revealed she was sent to Beijing by the Chinese embassy in London for weeks of treatment following surgery on her arm after she was injured during a protest in the British capital in November. But Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, speaking on Tuesday, did not reveal how long she stayed in Beijing nor why she had decided to receive treatment in the capital and not Hong Kong. Cheng said she suffered a fracture and partial dislocation of her wrist in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3040441/hong-kong-justice-chief-teresa-cheng-received-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3040441/hong-kong-justice-chief-teresa-cheng-received-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Dec 2019 13:03:37 +0000 The pro-Beijing camp is reeling from massive losses in the district council elections, with the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong losing more than 100 seats. There is only one person to blame for this – Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. Her political ineptitude, shown time and again, has resulted in the largest political crisis since Chinese President Xi Jinping took office. Traditionally, when parties lose big in the elections, heads roll. What should... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3039664/after-hong-kong-election-losses-carrie-lam-has-every-reason-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3039664/after-hong-kong-election-losses-carrie-lam-has-every-reason-change?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Nov 2019 00:35:06 +0000 Hong Kong has one minister with a very special talent: political obliviousness. Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah’s signature political ineptitude was laid bare even before she took office, when it was first revealed that she had illegal structures at her home. Subsequently, we learned of illegal structures at three other properties she owned. Illegal structures derailed Henry Tang Ying-yen’s bid for chief executive in 2012 — what was supposed to be a political slam dunk — and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3038863/hong-kongs-protest-crisis-rages-and-judicial-independence-under?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3038863/hong-kongs-protest-crisis-rages-and-judicial-independence-under?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Nov 2019 23:30:14 +0000 Justice Secretary Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah’s recent visit to the United Kingdom seemed specially designed for the masters of irony themselves – the British. I’m sure the oddness of her promoting Hong Kong as a dispute resolution centre while being the person most responsible for the carnage of disputes that is Hong Kong today, caused by her handling of the extradition bill earlier this year, wouldn’t have been lost on anyone. I wonder if she was also planning on talking about the responsibility of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3038564/why-hong-kongs-justice-chief-needs-visit-london-again-talk-about?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3038564/why-hong-kongs-justice-chief-needs-visit-london-again-talk-about?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Nov 2019 00:30:07 +0000 Hong Kong leaders who claim not to know what is behind the violence strafing the streets need only look in the mirror. Their arrogance, self-entitlement and ignorance are the ultimate cause. But they are not alone, as we are seeing with their counterparts in the West, the United States’ Donald Trump, Britain’s Boris Johnson and Australia’s Scott Morrison among them. Whatever the protesters’ demands, at the root is a struggle between baby boomers on one side and millennials and Generation Z on... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3038067/why-are-hongkongers-so-angry-because-their-baby-boomer-leaders-are?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3038067/why-are-hongkongers-so-angry-because-their-baby-boomer-leaders-are?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Nov 2019 09:00:04 +0000 Hong Kong’s justice minister hurt her arm in a fall while on an official trip in London on Thursday, in what was the first physical confrontation between a cabinet official and Hong Kong protesters. Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, who was in Britain to promote Hong Kong as a centre of dispute resolution, appeared calm but shocked while surrounded by at least 30 protesters angry about the administration’s handling of the anti-government protests. [BREAKING] Secretary for Justice of the HKSAR Theresa... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3037830/hong-kong-justice-secretary-teresa-cheng-injured-london-while?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3037830/hong-kong-justice-secretary-teresa-cheng-injured-london-while?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Nov 2019 22:55:25 +0000 An Anglican priest helping a Hong Kong murder suspect whose case triggered the city’s extradition bill crisis said on Thursday they would consider postponing his voluntary surrender to Taiwan for three months to allow for the self-ruled island’s presidential election. Reverend Canon Peter Koon Ho-ming of the Anglican Church spoke of the possibility even as it emerged that Taiwan’s government was informed in late September about Chan Tong-kai’s desire to turn himself in and had prepared for it,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3034345/delay-murder-suspect-chan-tong-kais-transfer-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3034345/delay-murder-suspect-chan-tong-kais-transfer-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Oct 2019 04:36:01 +0000 For the second time in a week, Hong Kong prosecutors have been forced to withdraw charges against defendants arrested over anti-government protests because of what they called a “procedural error”. Louis Lo Yat-sun, who has been detained for more than three months on explosives possession, had his charges dropped on Tuesday after it was revealed that police did not receive prior consent for his prosecution from the secretary for justice. Lo, a 28-year-old member of the pro-independence Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3034112/another-legal-blunder-hong-kong-prosecutors-sees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3034112/another-legal-blunder-hong-kong-prosecutors-sees?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Oct 2019 15:11:27 +0000 Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her government have failed to own up to their epic incompetence in creating the biggest political disaster Hong Kong has ever faced, with aftershocks tearing apart the city’s social fabric and shaking our economic foundations. And, as long as they don’t take responsibility, petrol bombs, tear gas and the lynching of people with opposing political views are going to remain everyday occurrences. It’s certainly very distressing to watch Lam in her... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3032499/carrie-lam-needs-face-public-her-policy-address-pre-recorded?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3032499/carrie-lam-needs-face-public-her-policy-address-pre-recorded?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Oct 2019 01:00:09 +0000 A new pact with the mainland has enhanced Hong Kong’s reputation as one of the few places in the region that can offer an assurance that legal disputes will be settled fairly. The government has reached an agreement with the People’s Supreme Court of China for interim protection of assets and evidence on the mainland involved in arbitration cases heard in the city. Hong Kong is the first jurisdiction to have that arrangement with the mainland. Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, herself... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3031322/new-pact-strengthens-arbitration-role-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3031322/new-pact-strengthens-arbitration-role-city?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Oct 2019 13:56:53 +0000