Secretary for Justice Paul Lam

Hello, my dear fellow citizens! I assume office as the Secretary for Justice to serve Hong Kong with zeal and humility.

Undoubtedly, the rule of law has always been the bedrock of Hong Kong’s success. To maintain and promote this core value is of crucial importance to Hong Kong. This is indeed one of the primary missions of me and my team in the Department of Justice.

Objective facts have proven that the rule of law in Hong Kong is well recognised. My personal experience has also rendered me to have full confidence in the rule of law in Hong Kong. That said, I will guard against complacency and will not be oblivious to any weakness or shortcomings. I deeply appreciate that there are people who entertain doubts about the rule of law and some of them even hold very different views from mine. In the hope of enhancing mutual understanding, I am going to listen patiently and carefully to different voices, and at the same time, express my stance concisely.

The rule of law is not, and should not be, a difficult and unfathomable concept that only few could understand. In short, it provides us with a fair and stable environment in which all of us will be able to live at ease and pursue our potential. To build a society governed by the rule of law, one of the key requirements is the possession by the general public of a sense of community based on mutual respect, tolerance, willingness to compromise and self-consciousness to abide by a common set of rules. We practise the rule of law by acts and moves in our daily lives, and to maintain the rule of law depends on each and every fellow citizen discharging his or her responsibilities in this respect. I sincerely invite you all to work together and to make our home, Hong Kong, a better place.

Secretary for Justice Paul Lam wrote this article and posted it on his blog on July 3.