Latest news with #prisonrules
South China Morning Post
15-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Prison rules update shows Hong Kong's will to protect national security
It is often assumed that those put behind bars are under close watch and are therefore unable to pose any danger to society. But the Hong Kong government is not leaving anything to chance as it seeks to suppress and punish acts jeopardising national security. That is why the prison rules are up for a major revamp to ensure they can meet the needs of safeguarding national security and correctional institution management. Advertisement Under the proposed amendments, the correctional services chief may limit or prohibit a prison visit for the purposes of national security, personal safety, rehabilitation, crime prevention as well as order and discipline. This includes banning visits from a particular chaplain or religious activities conducted by them if national security or any of the other key purposes is undermined. Officials said there were cases in which visits were abused to influence those in custody with 'soft tactics' to incite resistance against supervision and arouse hatred of the central and Hong Kong governments. Separately, the authorities may also apply for court warrants to restrict contact with certain legal representatives and medical practitioners to safeguard national security and prevent abuses of the existing arrangements. Referring to the practices in some countries that do not provide for judicial proceedings when imposing restrictions for national security reasons, officials believe the proposals have struck a balance with inmates' rights. Inevitably, some may find the proposals excessive. For instance, the rules for those on remand to wear their own clothes or procure food from outside prison are to be repealed to maintain good order and security. The authorities said private diet could become a tool for those awaiting trials to engage in secret dealings and had become one of the main causes of disputes and fights whereas personal clothing could become political statements and influence others, which may threaten order and discipline. The United Kingdom abolished the private diet arrangement in 1988, according to the Security Bureau. The amendments will take immediate effect on the day of gazettal to prevent and resolve the relevant risks in a timely manner. The quick pace underlines the government's determination to further enhance national security protection. Advertisement
South China Morning Post
03-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong plans to update prison rules to better guard national security
Hong Kong's security and prison agencies plan to update the current prison rules to tighten visiting criteria for specific lawyers, doctors and chaplains to ensure they safeguard national security, prevent crime and maintain order and discipline of those behind bars. In a paper submitted to the Legislative Council on Thursday, the Security Bureau and the Correctional Services Department laid out five 'key purposes' that would form the grounds for prison staff to impose additional restrictions, conditions or prohibitions on inmates. The proposed rules would also require correctional officers to apply for court warrants to be able to restrict visits to inmates from designated lawyers and doctors on the grounds of safeguarding national security. 'There were cases in the past where the visiting mechanism was abused by some people using 'humanitarian relief' as a pretext to visit for [the purpose of] influencing persons-in-custody with soft tactics,' authorities said in the paper. However, authorities said that inmates would still be able to have access to confidential legal advice and consult other lawyers of their own choice under the new changes. Inmates could also lodge an appeal over the warrant. Government sources said that the aim of amending the prison rules through subsidiary laws would be to update 'outdated' rules and plug national security loopholes in legal and medical visit arrangements, adding that officials were keenly aware of the need to balance inmates' rights with the new restrictions.
