Law Society Hails Meaningful NSL Talks In Capital

The head of the Law Society on Friday said its week-long visit to Beijing has allowed for "meaningful exchanges" with central authorities on the Basic Law and the national security law here.

Chan Chak-ming was speaking in Beijing after leading the professional body's first delegation to the capital since 2019. The group visited the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), the Basic Law Committee, as well as the country's top ministries and universities.

Chan said members met the HKMAO's deputy director, Wang Linggui, and the Basic Law Committee's vice chairman, Zhang Yong. Zhang had explained the background and reason for introducing national security legislation in the SAR, he added.

"We have reflected the actual situation in Hong Kong, especially the implementation of the Basic Law and of course the national security law. We have also discussed comments and misunderstandings about the national security law with the central authorities... there were meaningful exchanges," Chan said.

The Law Society chief added that Beijing urged Hong Kong to uphold the One Country, Two Systems principle and take full advantage of the SAR's common law system.

The society's vice-president, Amirali Nasir, said the Hong Kong judiciary could learn from the technology infrastructure on the mainland.

"I was amazed by the leading role of the mainland in the application of technology, such as artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain, to enhance judicial transparency and efficiency while ensuring fairness. This will be a valuable reference to the Hong Kong judiciary," he said.

The society said it also put forward a proposal to make it easier for Hong Kong lawyers to practise elsewhere in the Greater Bay Area by passing a licensing exam.