Next Media Li Zhiying was approved by the court to hire Tim Owen, Queen’s Counsel of the United Kingdom, to defend the national security case. After the government’s final appeal failed, it suggested to the central government to submit the law to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress for interpretation.
A special agenda item of the 38th meeting of the 13th National People's Congress Standing Committee being held in Beijing is to listen to the explanation of the proposal for the interpretation of the relevant provisions of the National Security Law for Hong Kong.
The Mainland's "Global Times" published an editorial today (28th), stating that "Whether Li Zhiying can hire a British lawyer or not, Chinese law has the final say."
The editorial pointed out that one of Li Zhiying's charges is suspected of "colluding with foreign countries or foreign forces to endanger national security". The case involves complex foreign-related evidence and major national security interests.
Since this case is the first national security law case to apply for hiring an overseas barrister to defend the defendant in Hong Kong, there are some ambiguities in Hong Kong law, so that Jimmy Lai and his gang hired foreign lawyers who did not have full local qualifications to participate in " The almost absurdity of the "collusion with foreign forces" defense.
Everyone knows what role Jimmy Lai played in colluding with external forces such as the United Kingdom and the United States in the 2019 "revision incident".
This is why all sectors of society in the Hong Kong SAR, especially staunch patriots and Hong Kong people and righteous people in the legal profession have expressed strong indignation and fierce criticism.
The editorial believes that under such circumstances, the chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region suggested that the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress exercise the right to interpret the Hong Kong National Security Law in accordance with the law. , which fully demonstrates the responsibility of the chief executive and the SAR government as the "head of the family" and "primary responsible person" of Hong Kong.
It should be pointed out that this is not a request for interpretation of the law specifically for the Jimmy Lai case, but how to clarify the current legal blind spots in this case, and make a clear statement based on the original intention and purpose of the Hong Kong National Security Law. illustrate.
The interpretation of the law will become the normative basis for handling similar cases in the future, so as to avoid the recurrence of relevant disputes.
The Li Zhiying case︱Xia Baolong explained to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress that he submitted the law interpretation bill. Soon or tomorrow will receive the draft Jimmy Lai case︱Li Jiachao believes that the central government will soon decide.
