Li Zhiying, the founder of Next Media, was allowed to hire British Queen’s adviser Tim Owen to come to Hong Kong to defend a case involving the national security law. The Justice Department appealed to the Court of Final Appeal . The Court of Finals today rejected the Justice Department’s approval, meaning that the appeal against the defense’s use of British foreign aid is officially suspended. Chief Executive Lee Ka-chao met with reporters in the evening and said he would propose the interpretation to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
Li Jiachao said that he would mention Li Zhiying’s case in the report submitted to the central government, and suggested that it be submitted for interpretation by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress to clarify whether lawyers without full local qualifications can handle national security cases .
Li Jiachao said that one of the reasons for the proposed interpretation of the law is that he is concerned that the Hong Kong SAR does not have an effective way to exclude overseas lawyers or lawyers who have conflicts of interest due to their own national interests, and there is no effective way to ensure that such lawyers are protected from foreign governments There is no effective way to ensure that the lawyer can comply with Article 63 of the Hong Kong National Security Law to keep state secrets, trade secrets and personal privacy.
He pointed out that Hong Kong residents have the right to choose a lawyer, but this right means that the lawyer is a fully qualified lawyer in Hong Kong, not a foreign lawyer without the above qualifications. the national security cannot hire foreign lawyers, which is in line with the requirements of Articles 4 and 5 of the National Security Law to respect and protect the rights and freedoms of arrested persons.
Regarding the Justice Department’s loss, Lee Ka-chao said that the Justice Department has put all its efforts into the appeals process, picking and selecting the strongest and most comprehensive arguments to present to the court, stating their efforts and complying with the final court ruling decision.
