fredag 21. januar 2022

New Hong Kong barristers’ chief warns profession to stay out of politics

The newly elected leader of Hong Kong barristers says that his profession should avoid politics and build closer ties to mainland China, as concerns grow about rule of law in the financial hub. The Hong Kong Bar Association has been a vocal defender of human rights and its previous leader had criticised a Beijing-imposed national security law, drawing fierce condemnation from Chinese officials.

Western governments have imposed sanctions against officials over the security law, which they say has trashed Hong Kong’s freedoms and autonomy, and begun transforming the city into a mirror of the authoritarian mainland. Victor Dawes, who ran unopposed for the bar association’s top job, told reporters on Thursday that the group’s top concern was upholding rule of law, which he said was “not a political concept”.

“For political topics, that is not something the bar association should handle or discuss.”