Any country pursuing close ties with Hong Kong should refrain from interfering in the city’s legal proceedings or threatening its legal professionals, the justice minister said amid mounting political pressure following Donald Trump’s US presidential victory .
Justice Minister Paul Lam Ting-kwok also said on Sunday that Hong Kong’s judicial independence remains unaffected by attempts to change legal practices through comments or actions from abroad.
Lam responded to speculation about interference in the city’s rule of law after Trump’s re-election.
The American president-elect promised last month he would get former media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying 100 percent out of China after securing his second term. Lai is behind bars pending the return to his high-profile position national security trial.
Asked how to handle Trump’s often unpredictable moves, including sanctioning all the city’s judges, Lam said any interference in the judiciary would violate the rule of law.
“Anyone who tries to use statements or actions to demand changes in our judicial procedures or to influence the (judicial) outcomes obviously violates the principles of the rule of law, and such behavior is inappropriate,” he said on TV. show.
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