Law Society Joins Calls For Protests Inquiry

The Law Society has added its voice to growing calls for an independent inquiry into the extradition bill crisis, saying this would provide “an urgent solution” to concerns over recent violent clashes in society.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the society said violence would affect confidence in both the maintenance of law and order and the city’s rule of law.

It said an independent committee should be tasked with finding out what caused the protests, and the government “must commit itself to cooperate” with such a probe.

The society noted that the Independent Police Complaints Council has announced a probe into allegations of police abuse of power during anti-extradition protests and that the authorities are investigating a violent attack in Yuen Long on July 21 in which armed men in white t-shirts chased and beat up people indiscriminately.

But it said the inquiry’s scope should be wider than this.

Its statement said the inquiry could be composed of a retired judge sitting with other members chosen from a cross-section of society.

And, to encourage “an open and frank dialogue on the incidents”, the society said those giving evidence must be conferred anonymity.

The committee should, at the end of the day, propose recommendations to avoid a recurrence of similar incidents, “thereby paving the way for reconciliation within society and restoring confidence”, the society said.