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South China Morning Post
07-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong legislators: great at passing laws, not so good at showing up
When we have a 90-member-strong legislature, things get done. Hong Kong's Legislative Council has passed 117 bills, 98 per cent more than in the previous term. The bulk of lawmakers' work is, well, making laws, so it speaks to the council's efficiency that twice as many bills have been passed after a 28.6 per cent increase in its membership. . When big, beautiful speeches aren't allowed, business gets done. Rules also limit the time that Legislative Council members get to speak: we generally require they get whatever they need to get off their chests within 15 minutes. No Hong Kong lawmaker will be looking to break records for the longest speech, unlike, say, in the United States, where House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries recently spoke for eight hours and 44 minutes, breaking the 2021 record by 12 minutes, to criticise US President Donald Trump's ' big, beautiful bill When big, beautiful speeches aren't allowed, business gets done. But when there are more people under your watch, your work doesn't get easier. And so Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen has a tougher job, even if all the lawmakers are bona fide 'patriots' without a penchant for the antics of their predecessors. Everyone seems to be on their best behaviour – at least when they are on the floor. An enlarged membership appears to have come with disciplinary problems, however. Why else would Leung be seeking to introduce rules requiring that lawmakers attend meetings, take part in votes and regularly submit work reports? Even after Martin Liao Cheung-kong, the Legco veteran affectionately known as the 'class monitor', issued 'gentle reminders' , legislators clearly have not been able get their act together. Yet, the legislature is passing what looks to be a record-breaking number of bills. So I'm guessing there is a delegation problem – with members offloading their responsibilities onto others. With more council members, there are, in theory, more people to handle the business at hand and so there are perhaps those who feel they can excuse themselves from time to time. . Given the detailed proposal to enhance the operation of the Legco, it looks like Leung isn't kidding about. Some of the items included in the 104-page document submitted are quite shocking. A need was felt to set rules for committee participation, such as for duty visits outside Hong Kong – even on business trips, it seems that there has been slack
The Guardian
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Hong Kong code of conduct will oblige legislators to ‘sincerely support' Beijing
A new code of conduct in Hong Kong will require legislators to 'sincerely support' Beijing's jurisdiction on the city and the chief executive, and prohibits anything that might 'vilify' the government. The proposal for the new code, introduced on Wednesday, included tiered penalties for legislators who breach the code, including suspension without payment for the most serious offences. It stipulated that legislators must 'sincerely support the central government's overall jurisdiction while securing the Hong Kong SAR's [special administrative region's] high degree of autonomy', as well as the principle of 'patriots administering Hong Kong', referring to election reforms which ensure that only pro-Beijing candidates can run. 'They should not intentionally vilify the governance credibility of the chief executive and the SAR government, nor should they deliberately undermine or weaken the effectiveness of executive-led governance,' it said. The president of the legislative council of Hong Kong, Andrew Leung, told media the new rules wouldn't restrict legislators from speaking up, but they must be careful to 'not cross the red line', Hong Kong Free Press reported. Hong Kong's governance system has undergone major overhauls in recent years, after a crackdown on the city's pro-democracy movement and politicians saw major interventions by the government in Beijing. Every major democratic party has disbanded or begun the process of disbandment, and thousands of people – including politicians and activists – have been prosecuted under national security laws. A separate proposal this week flags new prison rules which include only allowing visits pre-approved by the correctional services department, would empower the department to consider restrictions on clergy visits, and seek rulings to bar visits by specific legal representatives to imprisoned clients. 'In the past, some people have abused the visiting mechanism and conducted visits in the name of 'humanitarian support',' said the amendment proposal. 'In fact, they are using soft means to influence prisoners, intending to incite them to resist the supervision of the correctional services department, arouse their hatred towards the central government and the SAR government, and even make them become potential risks to national security and public safety after returning to society.' The crackdown on Hong Kong's pro-democracy population has been widely criticised by human rights and legal groups. Senior foreign judges have left or resigned from Hong Kong's appeal court, with several specifically citing concerns over the new environment. Hong Kong authorities reject the claims. In an interview published by an academic journal this week, the UK's Brenda Marjorie Hale, who quietly declined an offer to extend her post on the Hong Kong court in 2021, said she was now 'all the more convinced that it was the right thing to do'. 'Because, as things have developed, the National Security Law has taken over the Basic Law,' she said, referring to Hong Kong's mini constitution. 'Even though the foreign judges are not likely to be asked to sit on national security cases, they are being asked to give respectability to a system that despite the best efforts ... are not going to succeed.' Additional research by Lillian Yang and Jason Tzu Kuan Lu
The Guardian
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Hong Kong code of conduct will oblige legislators to ‘sincerely support' Beijing
A new code of conduct in Hong Kong will require legislators to 'sincerely support' Beijing's jurisdiction on the city and the chief executive, and prohibits anything that might 'vilify' the government. The proposal for the new code, introduced on Wednesday, included tiered penalties for legislators who breach the code, including suspension without payment for the most serious offences. It stipulated that legislators must 'sincerely support the central government's overall jurisdiction while securing the Hong Kong SAR's [special administrative region's] high degree of autonomy', as well as the principle of 'patriots administering Hong Kong', referring to election reforms which ensure that only pro-Beijing candidates can run. 'They should not intentionally vilify the governance credibility of the chief executive and the SAR government, nor should they deliberately undermine or weaken the effectiveness of executive-led governance,' it said. The president of the legislative council of Hong Kong, Andrew Leung, told media the new rules wouldn't restrict legislators from speaking up, but they must be careful to 'not cross the red line', Hong Kong Free Press reported. Hong Kong's governance system has undergone major overhauls in recent years, after a crackdown on the city's pro-democracy movement and politicians saw major interventions by the government in Beijing. Every major democratic party has disbanded or begun the process of disbandment, and thousands of people – including politicians and activists – have been prosecuted under national security laws. A separate proposal this week flags new prison rules which include only allowing visits pre-approved by the correctional services department, would empower the department to consider restrictions on clergy visits, and seek rulings to bar visits by specific legal representatives to imprisoned clients. 'In the past, some people have abused the visiting mechanism and conducted visits in the name of 'humanitarian support',' said the amendment proposal. 'In fact, they are using soft means to influence prisoners, intending to incite them to resist the supervision of the correctional services department, arouse their hatred towards the central government and the SAR government, and even make them become potential risks to national security and public safety after returning to society.' The crackdown on Hong Kong's pro-democracy population has been widely criticised by human rights and legal groups. Senior foreign judges have left or resigned from Hong Kong's appeal court, with several specifically citing concerns over the new environment. Hong Kong authorities reject the claims. In an interview published by an academic journal this week, the UK's Brenda Marjorie Hale, who quietly declined an offer to extend her post on the Hong Kong court in 2021, said she was now 'all the more convinced that it was the right thing to do'. 'Because, as things have developed, the National Security Law has taken over the Basic Law,' she said, referring to Hong Kong's mini constitution. 'Even though the foreign judges are not likely to be asked to sit on national security cases, they are being asked to give respectability to a system that despite the best efforts ... are not going to succeed.' Additional research by Lillian Yang and Jason Tzu Kuan Lu
HKFP
04-07-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
Hong Kong legislature's proposed new code of conduct seeks to prohibit members from ‘vilifying' gov't
Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo) has proposed a new code of conduct to ensure that lawmakers 'perform their duties in a constructive manner' and do 'not intentionally vilify the governance credibility' of the chief executive and the government. According to the proposed code submitted on Wednesday, lawmakers should not only 'sincerely support' the chief executive and the government in administering Hong Kong but also should not 'deliberately undermine or weaken the effectiveness of executive-led governance.' It also stipulates that legislators should attend meetings, participate in voting, maintain engagement with the public, and submit an annual work report. The proposed code lays down a five-tier sanctions system for violations, ranging from a written warning to suspension of duty and deduction of lawmakers' remuneration and allowances. To implement the code, the LegCo also proposes expanding the functions of the Committee on Members' Interests and renaming it the 'Legislative Council Supervisory Committee.' The revamped committee will have the power to investigate complaints against legislators and impose sanctions. Andrew Leung, president of the LegCo, told reporters on Thursday that the new code of conduct would not restrict legislators from speaking up. However, he reminded lawmakers to act carefully and 'not cross the red line.' Leung said the proposed code would be discussed in the House Committee on Friday and that he hoped it would take effect at the start of the new legislative term. Last month, the Hong Kong Economic Journal reported that lawmakers had been warned not to discuss four 'sensitive' issues, including delivery workers' rights, the dispute between the taxi industry and ride-hailing platforms, unknown black particles found in drinking water at two public residential estates in Fanling, and the reopening of a nightclub in Tsim Sha Tsui. In January last year, Chief Executive John Lee hit back at pro-establishment lawmaker Paul Tse, who criticised the 'high-pressure and high-profile' law enforcement actions in the city. Lee called Tse's wording 'dangerous' and said it reminded him of the language used by the opposition during the 2019 protests and unrest, as well as 'soft resistance.' In March 2021, Beijing passed legislation to ensure 'patriots' govern Hong Kong. The move reduced democratic representation in the legislature, tightened control of elections and introduced a pro-Beijing vetting panel to select candidates. The Hong Kong government said the overhaul would ensure the city's stability and prosperity. But the changes also prompted international condemnation, as it makes it near-impossible for pro-democracy candidates to stand.
RTHK
03-07-2025
- Politics
- RTHK
New code of conduct can lead to lawmakers' suspension
New code of conduct can lead to lawmakers' suspension Andrew Leung says lawmakers in the next Legco term could face the new code of conduct. Photo: RTHK The Legislative Council has drafted a new code of conduct for its next term to enhance members' self-discipline and oversight, which will include a formal sanctions mechanism with penalties ranging from warnings to suspension of duties for misconduct. Legco president Andrew Leung said on Thursday that the code outlines expectations for members' conduct and work while emphasising that lawmakers must consistently uphold high standards of personal behaviour, maintain integrity and act in alignment with the fundamental interests of the nation and the broader interests of Hong Kong society. To boost transparency, Leung stated that members will be required to submit an annual work report for public review within two months after the end of each year. He added that the code establishes a tiered sanctions system based on the severity of misconduct, which may include written warnings and suspension of duties. For more serious offences, Leung added, a motion would be moved that would result in a member being censured or, worse, suspended for a certain period if a majority of lawmakers vote for it. "With the suspension, he will not be able to receive any salary or remuneration, etc. That's the way the committee will look at it," he said, referring to the Committee on Members' Interests. To enforce the code, the existing committee will be expanded, he added. The committee will handle formal misconduct complaints and, with Legco's authorisation, have the authority to summon witnesses under the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance to investigate allegations. Leung said if passed, the new code and associated measures will take effect at the start of the eighth Legislative Council term in December.
