Chief Executive Carrie Lam today said claims that judicial means were used to carry out political prosecution in the court ruling on the Occupy Central case are unfounded. 

Speaking to the media, Mrs Lam said the Basic Law stipulates that Hong Kong has an independent judiciary and the Department of Justice controls criminal prosecutions, free from interference. 

She also cited remarks by Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal Geoffrey Ma who said it is no part of a court’s function or duty to adjudicate on political, social or economic issues.

Mrs Lam said: “I take great exception to those comments that this particular case relating to Occupy Central was a question of using judicial means to carry out political prosecution or even political persecution.

“I think those comments are totally unsubstantiated and unfounded, and they will damage Hong Kong’s international reputation in terms of our rule of law and the independence of the Judiciary.”