Security law guiding principles clear

June 16, 2020

Chief Executive Carrie Lam:
About comments made by the deputy director of the Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office yesterday on an occasion to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law, without the details about the provisions in the legislation and how they are going to be applied, it is not possible for me - and not appropriate because I am not party to the lawmaking institution - to comment on the individual comments made by my Mainland counterparts, except to reiterate the very important principles guiding this lawmaking process, and they are laid down in the explanatory statement to the draft decision discussed by the National People's Congress leading to the approval on May 28. And included in the five main principles are the principles to ensure that there is full compliance with this very important principle of “one country, two systems”, that everything has to be done in accordance with the law, and the legitimate rights and freedoms of the Hong Kong people are being safeguarded and protected. 

And I noticed that subsequent to that explanatory statement, the Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office issued on May 29 another statement elaborating on these important principles and on top of that, reiterating that this new piece of legislation will not change Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and will not affect judicial independence, including that of final adjudication.

(To watch the whole media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today reiterated that the National People's Congress (NPC) will be guided by five main principles in drafting the national security legislation for Hong Kong.

Speaking ahead of the Executive Council meeting this morning, Mrs Lam said: "About comments made by the deputy director of the Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office yesterday on an occasion to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law, without the details about the provisions in the legislation and how they are going to be applied, it is not possible for me - and not appropriate because I am not party to the lawmaking institution - to comment on the individual comments made by my Mainland counterparts."

She pointed out that the important principles guiding the lawmaking process are laid down in the explanatory statement to the draft decision discussed by the NPC leading to the approval on May 28.

"Included in the five main principles are the principles to ensure that there is full compliance with this very important principle of 'one country, two systems', that everything has to be done in accordance with the law, and the legitimate rights and freedoms of the Hong Kong people are being safeguarded and protected."

Mrs Lam added that subsequent to the explanatory statement, the Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office issued on May 29 another statement elaborating on the important principles and reiterating that the legislation will not change Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and will not affect judicial independence, including that of final adjudication.