Open court, detailed ruling in Jimmy Lai trial ‘prove Hong Kong rule of law strong’

An open court and a detailed ruling in former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s closely watched national security trial have demonstrated the strength of Hong Kong’s rule of law, legal experts have said.

Lawyers, including the Hong Kong Bar Association, on Tuesday urged members of the public to respect the city’s judicial process and study the High Court’s judgment carefully before drawing conclusions after several Western countries criticised Lai’s guilty verdict, prompting a strong rebuke from the government.

A panel of three judges, who were hand-picked by the city’s leader to adjudicate national security cases, found Lai guilty on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and a third of conspiracy to print seditious articles.

In their 855-page judgment, which came after a trial lasting more than 1½ years, the judges said Lai was the mastermind behind three conspiracies to instigate international sanctions and hostile activities against Hong Kong and mainland China, and to print seditious articles through the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper he founded.

The verdict drew immediate criticism from several Western countries. Britain called the prosecution “politically motivated”, while the European Union said the ruling was “emblematic of the erosion of democracy and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong”.

  

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