Paul Harris
The central government’s denunciation against the chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association Paul Harris may be a “clear intrusion in the sphere of the legal profession [in Hong Kong],” but its impact on Macau’s legal community remains uncertain or minimal, local lawyer Sérgio de Almeida Correia told the Times.
The deep-rooted patriotism of Macau’s legal community, which Correia regarded as “very obedient and dependent on political power and business tycoons”, may prevent professionals in the region from being targeted by the Liaison Office for quite some time.
Correia’s remarks came after the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR issued a statement on April 25, decrying Paul Harris as an “anti-China politician,” and warning that his continuing tenure would “make the biggest irony to the Bar Association.”
The fierce criticism by the Liaison Office urging Harris to step down was intended as retaliation against Harris, following his earlier remarks in which he stated that he advocated the right to a peaceful protest. This speech was made after Hong Kong’s High Court sentenced 10 activists, including media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, for their roles in the illegal assemblies on August 18 and 31 in 2019.
The accusation also pointed up Harris’ close ties with foreign organizations. Before serving as a chairman at the Bar Association he was a member of the Liberal Democrats in the U.K., and a Councillor for St Margaret’s Ward, Oxford. He resigned from these two positions before and after he took the post at the Bar Association in Hong Kong.
Sérgio de Almeida Correia
In the wake of the Liaison Office’s blunt accusation, Harris cleared up the misconception, reaffirming that he is not an anti-China politician, and he firmly supports the Basic Law and “One country, two systems” principle and opposes “any violent behavior.”
He also said he wishes to meet with representatives of the Liaison Office in Hong Kong to clarify these matters in person.
Harris’ case has raised thorny questions about freedom of speech and the rule of law for some lawyers in Hong Kong.
Correia echoes this viewpoint, saying that the event “again calls into question the margin of autonomy of the legal profession, the rights enshrined in the Basic Law and the principles inherent to the rule of law.”
“The credibility of the Hong Kong and Macau legal systems lies on its independence, on its autonomy vis-à-vis political power, and it is based in the rule of law,” he said.
“If the courts, the judges and the lawyers are all [subject] to the political power of the government, no matter if it is local or central, and everybody is forced to follow political instructions for reasons of “patriotism” or something similar, there are no distinctive factors between the two SARs and the mainland legal system,” he added. Staff Reporter
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