kakase/hk_gov_press_release huggingface dataset:
Secretary for Justice to visit Kuala Lumpur
4.11.2017

The Secretary for Justice, Mr Rimsky Yuen, SC, will lead a delegation of legal and dispute resolution professionals to visit Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from November 6 to 8 to promote Hong Kong's international legal and dispute resolution services. He will also attend promotional activities to be held by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). While in Kuala Lumpur, Mr Yuen will officiate the opening ceremony of the "In Style．Hong Kong" Symposium organised by the HKTDC and speak at the thematic session on "Legal Risk Management: Key to International Trade and Investment", which is co-orgainsed by HKTDC and the Department of Justice. He will also officiate and speak at the "In Style．Hong Kong" Gala Dinner. In addition, Mr Yuen will launch "Hong Kong Live in Kuala Lumpur", presented by the HKTB to promote Hong Kong tourism experiences. Mr Yuen and members of Hong Kong’s legal and dispute resolution delegation will also take the opportunity to meet with relevant Malaysian officials and visit the arbitration centre in Kuala Lumpur. He will return to Hong Kong on the evening of November 8. Ends/Saturday, November 4, 2017 Issued at HKT 15:00 NNNN
Secretary for Justice on co-location arrangement at the West Kowloon Station of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link
2.11.2017

The Secretary for Justice, Mr Rimsky Yuen, SC; the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan; and the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, met the media after attending the Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting today (November 2). Following is the transcript of remarks of the media session: Reporter: Can you promise the Government will not bypass the LegCo before you get … Secretary for Justice: I think it’s not the most appropriate question to ask or it’s not the most appropriate way to put the question in such a manner. As I was saying in Cantonese just now, the reason why we move the Government motion is because we want to respect the Legislative Council (LegCo) members’ right to discuss matters of public interest. That is in fact an express provision in Article 73(6) of the Basic Law. But regrettably and to our great disappointment, we have seen over the past two weeks, ever since last Wednesday, that certain members of the LegCo have been using all sorts of means to delay the proper progress of this motion. And in a way, I would venture to suggest that certain gestures on their part amounted to clear abuse of the legislative procedures. And therefore I think the question, if I may suggest, should be put to those relevant members of LegCo to see whether they would agree to properly perform their duty as members of LegCo so that the business of LegCo can be properly and appropriately dealt with, and so that they can properly discharge their duty as members of LegCo. So may be the question should be put to them but not the Government. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) Ends/Thursday, November 2, 2017 Issued at HKT 21:31 NNNN
Transcript of media session by Secretary for Justice
29.10.2017

Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Rimsky Yuen, SC, at a media session after attending a radio programme this morning (October 29): Reporter: Do you agree with your predecessor that the previous Beijing interpretation on oath-taking might have been avoided? Or you do have reservation on that? Secretary for Justice: As I said previously and I was explaining the issue just now in Cantonese, my personal belief is under the "one country, two systems" and under the provision in the Basic Law, the judicial system in Hong Kong, and in particular, the integrity of the judicial system of Hong Kong including in particular judicial independence, should be very, very carefully safeguarded. This is the one thing the Government of HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) has been endeavoring to do our utmost. In the context of interpretation, I think I have said previously that we believe the issues could have been dealt with internally, within the system in Hong Kong. Looking into the future, as I said at the opening of the Legal Year in January this year, my belief is that if the issue can be dealt with within the system in Hong Kong, I think Hong Kong should be given a chance to deal with that. And by so doing, it would not be a breach of the "one country, two systems" policy nor would this be contrary to the provision or the spirit of the Basic Law. On the contrary, if things can be dealt with within Hong Kong, and if things therefore were dealt with in Hong Kong, that in fact shows the vitality and in fact the beauty, if not the strength, of the "one country, two systems" policy as well as the spirit of the Basic Law. Thank you. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript) Ends/Sunday, October 29, 2017 Issued at HKT 13:36 NNNN
HKSAR and Shenzhen Municipal Government renew co-operative arrangement on legal matters (with photo)
12.10.2017

The Secretary for Justice, Mr Rimsky Yuen, SC, met with the Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipality, Mr Gao Zimin, today (October 12) and renewed the "Co-operative Arrangement on Legal Matters" for another five years. The Arrangement will continue to strengthen co-operation on legal matters and provide a robust exchange platform for the two cities' government departments and the legal profession. The Arrangement also stresses the support for Hong Kong as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the promotion of exchanges and co-operation among legal, arbitration, mediation and related professionals between the two places. The first five-year "Co-operative Arrangement on Legal Matters" was signed in November, 2011 by the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Shenzhen Municipal Government. Since then, the DoJ has been maintaining good communication and co-operation with the Shenzhen Municipal Government. A range of exchanges and co-operation activities, including visits and workshops, have been arranged. Ends/Thursday, October 12, 2017 Issued at HKT 17:30 NNNN
Government statement in response to public procession
1.10.2017

In response to the public procession today (October 1), a Government spokesman said that the Basic Law provides constitutional protection to Hong Kong's legal system, judicial independence, human rights and the rule of law. "Judges and judicial officers in Hong Kong have been deciding cases professionally and independently, including those relating to public order events and human rights. Judicial decisions are made independently after fair and open hearings on the basis of the evidence adduced in court and the applicable law. Political consideration does not come into play at all. Those convicted of criminal offences have the right to apply for review or appeal in regard to their convictions and sentences in accordance with legal procedures. "The Department of Justice (DoJ) is committed to safeguarding the rule of law and judicial independence in Hong Kong, as well as keeping criminal prosecutions free from any interference. The DoJ has all along been handling all criminal cases in accordance with the applicable law, relevant evidence and the Prosecution Code. No political consideration is being taken into account at all. The allegations of political prosecution or persecution are entirely unfounded. Not only do these allegations ignore the evidence accepted by the court or undisputed evidence in these cases, they also disregard the decisions of the court," the spokesman said. "As regards the case concerning the charging at the ground floor lobby of the Legislative Council Complex in 2014, and also the case involving Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow, the Court of Appeal pointed out clearly in the two Judgments concerning the application for review of sentence, that the defendants were not convicted or sentenced for exercising the freedom of assembly, demonstration or expression; instead, they were convicted and sentenced because their conduct overstepped the line permitted by the law, including conduct involving violence." The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region fully respects freedom of speech and the rights to petition and hold public processions. However, as repeatedly pointed out by the court, those freedom and rights are not absolute. People must respect the law when exercising such rights. Ends/Sunday, October 1, 2017 Issued at HKT 17:30 NNNN
Secretary for Justice to attend arbitration forum in Guangzhou
16.9.2017

The Secretary for Justice, Mr Rimsky Yuen, SC, will visit Guangzhou on Monday and Tuesday (September 18 and 19) and attend the 7th Greater China Arbitration Forum. He will give a speech at the opening ceremony. Organised by the Guangzhou Arbitration Commission, the forum will discuss issues including the development of online arbitration, the practice of ad hoc arbitration, and the role and positioning of arbitration under the Belt and Road Initiative. Mr Yuen will return to Hong Kong in the afternoon on September 19. Ends/Saturday, September 16, 2017 Issued at HKT 17:00 NNNN
Department of Justice's response to queries on two court cases
21.8.2017

In response to queries raised by some members of the public in respect of the two Court of Appeal cases respectively concerning 13 persons taking part in unlawful assembly outside the Legislative Council building (CAAR 3/2016) and concerning Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow (CAAR 4/2016), the Department of Justice (DoJ) gave the following response today (August 21): In the aforesaid two applications for review of sentences concluded last week on August 15 and 17, 2017, the Court of Appeal has already taken into account the number of hours of community service respectively served by the defendants and made discounts to the ultimate sentences imposed. For instance, in CAAR 4/2016, the Court of Appeal reduced one month to each of the sentences of Joshua Wong and Nathan Law from the starting point (see para 170 of the judgment). This is consistent with the court's practice when an immediate custodial sentence is imposed upon a review of or appeal against sentence whilst the respondent has completed the community service order. There is therefore no question of double jeopardy or being sentenced twice. Further, the applications for review of sentences in both cases were not instituted after the defendants had served their original sentences. In CAAR 3/2016, the application for leave to review the sentences was made to the Court of Appeal within 21 days after the imposition of the original sentence. In CAAR 4/2016, the Prosecution within 14 days of the sentence being imposed applied for a review of the sentences before the trial Magistrate in August 2016 under section 104 of the Magistrates Ordinance (Cap 227). The defendants of the two cases, at that time, had not started to serve their community service orders. Therefore, there is no question of the DoJ applying for review of the sentences after the defendants had completed the original sentences. Upon the dismissal of that review in September 2016, the DoJ applied to the Court of Appeal for leave to review the sentence and the Court of Appeal granted leave to the DoJ in October 2016. In other words, the applications for review were made within the time limit prescribed by the legislation. There is therefore no question of a vendetta as asserted at all. The review of the sentences in both cases could be heard until their respective appeals against convictions had been dismissed (CAAR 3/2016) and abandoned (CAAR 4/2016) (see DoJ's statement of August 17, 2017). The DoJ reiterates that the two aforesaid cases were handled according to the applicable laws, and that there is no question of "political prosecutions" whatsoever. Ends/Monday, August 21, 2017 Issued at HKT 17:35 NNNN
Government's response to procession on sentence review case
20.8.2017

In response to the public procession on the case on sentence review today (August 20), a spokesman for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government gave the following response: Over the past 20 years since the establishment of the HKSAR, the freedom and the right of speech, demonstration, assembly, etc have all along been protected by the Basic Law. The rule of law and judicial independence are the important elements of the success of the "one country, two systems" policy and are widely recognised by the international community. Both the HKSAR Government and Hong Kong people respect and safeguard these core values. Regarding the Court of Appeal case concerning Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow, as clearly pointed out by the Department of Justice (DoJ) earlier, the decisions to prosecute and appeal were made in accordance with the Prosecution Code, applicable laws and relevant evidence. There is absolutely no political consideration involved. Further, allegations that the Court is under political interference are totally unfounded and groundless. We notice that the joint statement of the Hong Kong Bar Association and the Law Society of Hong Kong has pointed out the errors in these allegations. In fact, the Court's acceptance of DoJ's application to review the sentence meant that the application is well founded on legal grounds. In other words, the whole process, from the decision to prosecute, conviction, DoJ's application for sentence review and the judgment of the Court of Appeal, has been proceeded in accordance with Hong Kong's effective legal system. The HKSAR Government is aware that the community has different views on the judgment and notices that the relevant defendants have indicated to lodge appeals. The case should be handled in accordance with judicial procedures. Ends/Sunday, August 20, 2017 Issued at HKT 22:17 NNNN
Secretary for Justice on co-location arrangement of Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (English only)
8.8.2017

The Secretary for Justice, Mr Rimsky Yuen, SC; the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan; and the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, met the media after attending the joint meeting of the Panel on Transport, the Panel on Security and the Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services of the Legislative Council (LegCo) on the co-location arrangement of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link this afternoon (August 8). Following is the transcript of remarks of the media session: Reporter: Mr Yuen, why doesn’t the Government consider holding a public consultation on the controversial co-location arrangement? Secretary for Justice: I think as I have been explaining on the last occasion as well as on this occasion, the suggestion of co-location is not a new idea. It didn't happen just out of the blue. In fact, as soon as the Express Rail was planned, the question of co-location was raised. And then, in the year 2007-2008 Policy Address, the then Chief Executive also positively said that the Government would be studying the possibility and feasibility of implementing co-location at the West Kowloon Station. And thereafter on many different occasions including the occasions when application was made to the Finance Committee of LegCo for the relevant funding, the same issue was raised. So this question of co-location has been discussed and has been ventilated in the community for a considerable period of time. Therefore, there have been considerable opportunities for different sectors of people, including lawyers, including academics, including people who are interested in development or transport, to express their views. Also, ever since the Government announced the proposal on the 25th of last month, we have also been listening to the views of the people of Hong Kong. I think what we want to stress is that we all along place great importance on Hong Kong people's views. And that's the reason why we have been collecting views of Hong Kong people from different channels and that's something that we will continue to do because we still have a bit of time and we would like to know what people think about the proposal that we have put forward on the 25th of last month. Thank you. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) Ends/Tuesday, August 8, 2017 Issued at HKT 20:46 NNNN
Recruitment arrangement for Government Counsel applicants announced
4.8.2017

The Department of Justice today (August 4) reminded potential applicants for the post of Government Counsel (GC) that they are required to obtain a certain level of results in the Common Recruitment Examination (CRE) in order to be qualified for the post. The GC recruitment exercise will be conducted around September this year. Similar to last year's recruitment exercise, applicants will be required to obtain a Level 2 result in the Use of English (UE) paper and a Level 1 result in the Use of Chinese (UC) paper of the CRE. In this connection, Level 5 or above in English Language in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSEE) or Grade C or above in Use of English in the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE) or Grade C or above in English Language in the General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level) are accepted as equivalent to Level 2 in the UE paper of the CRE. Furthermore, Level 4 in Chinese Language in the HKDSEE or Grade D in Chinese Language and Culture or Chinese Language and Literature in the HKALE are accepted as equivalent to Level 1 in the UC paper of the CRE. Other equivalent qualifications can also be found at www.csb.gov.hk/english/recruit/cre/949.html . Under exceptional circumstances a limited number of applicants who do not meet the requisite Chinese language requirement may be appointed subject to the operational needs of the department. Since 2008, applicants for the GC post should also take a Basic Law Test (BLT). While not mandatory, the results of the BLT will be taken into account in considering the suitability of a candidate for appointment. The next CRE and BLT will be held on October 7 and 14, 2017, in Hong Kong. Prospective GC applicants without the requisite results in the CRE or equivalent and/or those who wish to take the BLT are invited to apply between August 4 and 17, 2017, for sitting the relevant examination and/or test. Further information on the CRE and BLT is available on the homepage of the Civil Service Bureau (under the "Recruitment" section) at www.csb.gov.hk . Ends/Friday, August 4, 2017 Issued at HKT 15:30 NNNN
Introductory remarks by Secretary for Justice at press conference on co-location arrangement of Hong Kong Section of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (with videos)
25.7.2017

The Secretary for Justice, Mr Rimsky Yuen, SC; the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan; and the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, held a press conference on the co-location arrangement of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link this afternoon (July 25). Following is the introductory remarks by Mr Yuen: Thanks for attending this press conference concerning co-location. Ever since the planning stage of the Hong Kong Section of the Express Rail Link, which I shall call, in short form, the XRL, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG) has been studying co-location arrangement as the clearance procedures for the XRL. In his 2007-2008 Policy Address, the then Chief Executive announced that the feasibility of implementing co-location arrangement would be actively considered. When the HKSARG made the relevant funding application before the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council, it again indicated that the Government would study the implementation of co-location arrangement. The HKSARG takes the view that implementing co-location arrangement at the West Kowloon Station can maximise the benefits that may arise from the operation of the Hong Kong Section of XRL. On the contrary, if the traditional form of separate-location arrangement were to be implemented, the benefit of the Hong Kong Section of XRL would be greatly reduced, and would be inconsistent with the original intention of constructing the Hong Kong Section of the XRL. Throughout the period during which the HKSARG and the relevant Mainland authorities conducted study and discussion, both sides have all along agreed that co-location arrangement should comply with three objectives, namely: First, from the legal perspective, it should be consistent with the "one country, two systems" policy, and should not contravene the Basic Law. Second, from the operational perspective, it has to be feasible and effective. Third, from the security perspective, it should be able to manage security risk robustly, so as to prevent security loopholes. The purpose of today's meeting is to introduce the proposal concerning co-location. I will first invite the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan, to do his part of the introduction; thereafter, I and the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, will respectively do the introduction on the legal and security aspects. After a few concluding remarks by me, we would be more than happy to answer your questions. I would now pass the floor to Mr Frank Chan. Ends/Tuesday, July 25, 2017 Issued at HKT 19:52 NNNN
Secretary for Justice to visit Shenzhen
8.7.2017

The Secretary for Justice, Mr Rimsky Yuen, SC, will visit Shenzhen tomorrow morning (July 9) to attend and speak at a law conference to commemorate the 20th anniversary of China's resumption of the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong. The conference is organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Shenzhen University. Mr Yuen will speak on the implementation of the Basic Law at the opening ceremony. He will also deliver a speech at a panel session on opportunities and challenges for Hong Kong as a regional hub for legal services and dispute resolution services. Mr Yuen will return to Hong Kong in the afternoon on the same day. Ends/Saturday, July 8, 2017 Issued at HKT 16:00 NNNN
Secretary for Justice starts visit to Vienna (with photos)
3.7.2017

The Secretary for Justice, Mr Rimsky Yuen, SC, started his visit to Vienna, Austria today (July 3, Vienna time) by meeting with officials and representatives of the legal and arbitration sectors to strengthen legal co-operation and exchanges between Hong Kong and Austria. Mr Yuen started the day by meeting with the Vice President of the Austrian Federal Bar Association, Dr Marcella Prunbauer-Glaser. He updated Dr Prunbauer-Glaser on the latest development of the arbitration and mediation landscape in Hong Kong. He stressed that Hong Kong has a long-standing policy of promoting dispute resolution services and encouraging the use of other dispute resolution methods, including arbitration and mediation, to resolve civil and commercial disputes. Mr Yuen said both sides should enhance legal co-operation and exchanges in particular among legal profession bodies. Mr Yuen also called on the Secretary General of the Federal Ministry of Justice of Austria, Mr Georg Stawa, to exchange views on issues of mutual concern. Both explored the opportunities to enhance legal co-operation, including mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, between the two places. Mr Yuen then visited the Vienna International Arbitral Centre and met with its President, Dr Günther Horvath. Mr Yuen told Dr Horvath that given the growth of international trade activities and the interest shown by many Central and Eastern European economies in taking part in the Belt and Road Initiative, there is a lot of potential for co-operation on matters relating to arbitration services between Austria and Hong Kong. Mr Yuen also took the opportunity to pay a courtesy call on the Chinese Ambassador to Austria, Mr Li Xiaosi. Mr Yuen will attend the Congress hosted by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) tomorrow (July 4, Vienna time) and give a keynote speech at the session on "Creative international law-making in the international trade law context". Ends/Tuesday, July 4, 2017 Issued at HKT 3:22 NNNN