We've Put Foreign Lawyers Right On HK: Law Society

Leaders of the Law Society said on Tuesday that they have been clearing up misunderstandings the global legal community has about Hong Kong.

President Chan Chak-ming said he and three vice-presidents had recently visited places including the UK, US and Singapore, and while it's not their role to "tell a good Hong Kong story", they have shared details regarding the actual situation, and in an objective manner.

Chan said he dispelled misconceptions such as that "all local judges are appointed by Beijing", and that "there is no judicial independence, fair trials and free speech" in Hong Kong.

"I really can't see under the current environment, we are not allowed to criticise the government. We criticise the government all the time," he added.

"If the government isn't doing their job, of course we can say it loudly. The hope is, we want the government to improve."

Chan says it’s of paramount importance that Hong Kong maintains its common law system, noting that President Xi Jinping had mentioned this in July when he spoke about the necessity of Hong Kong keeping its unique advantages.

Given this necessity, the Law Society chief said, it's important for people like himself to maintain connections with practitioners in other common law jurisdictions.

Chan also said there's been a problem of legal practitioners moving overseas.

He also said that during his recent stay in England, he told some university students from Hong Kong that there are plenty of development opportunities in the SAR, and he hopes they can return to help uphold the rule of law.