HK Bar Association chairman hails healthy ties between the city's judiciary and international partners
發佈日期: 2025-10-12 19:34
TVB News
On a TVB News programme, Hong Kong Bar Association Chairman Jose-Antonio Maurellet spoke about whether legal representatives from abroad have changed their views about the city's judiciary.
Regarding the government's recent consideration to ban high-risk activities during active typhoons, Maurellet stressed any legislation must take personal freedom into consideration.
Having earlier attended the ceremony celebrating the start of the UK's legal year, Hong Kong Bar Association Chairman Jose-Antonio Maurellet engaged in a number of exchanges with more than 40 representatives from different parts of the world.
When asked whether legal professionals from abroad have come to regard Hong Kong's judiciary as having changed, the bar chairman said it depends on whether certain individuals had prior experience in the city's field of law.
He emphasised that those who know about Hong Kong's legal system understand the city's law is similar to that of other Common Law territories, while some who lack the experience would mistakenly believe judges in Hong Kong were sent from the mainland.
On the upcoming verdict of the national security trial of former media mogul Jimmy Lai, Maurellet expected some international attention.
But added that all lawyers' associations would object to any talks of sanctioning the Hong Kong judiciary.
Meanwhile, Maurellet also pointed out the bar's concerns about potential laws preventing high-risk activities during typhoons.
Maurellet said : "I think as a professional body of lawyers, we will not support or not support any particular proposed legislation or not. We do notice there are already existing offences including offences against the persons and other offences. I think the real question is whether legislation in any particular scenario is the right solution and is it the first thing we want to think about. The other important thing that we think about is freedom.
Because in the usual course of human experience, we will all take risks."
