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Mr. Litton echoed that view, lashing out at critics who have pointed to the law as a threat to the liberties that have kept Hong Kong unique from the authoritarian imposition of justice in mainland China. According to the new law, state security agents are not subject to local rules while police have gained new powers to conduct searches without warrants, censor information, freeze assets and ban people from leaving the city.
Mr. Litton has been outspoken about protesters in the city, whose demands for democratic reforms he has called futile; and the judiciary in Hong Kong which, he has said, has grown out of touch with its core duties and with the legal problems it is meant to address. The national-security law shows “that Beijing seems to have lost confidence in the judicial system in Hong Kong to some degree,” he said.
He dismissed some criticism as fanciful. The law bans “provoking by unlawful means hatred” toward authorities in Hong Kong and China. “If you provoke by unlawful means – is it not acting unlawfully?” he said. Could the law be used to exact heavy punishment for trivial matters? After all, some of the first people arrested under the law were accused of holdings signs and banners declaring Hong Kong independence, a slogan local authorities have now expressly banned.
Are the hundreds of people who have said the new security law is a very bad thing not 'experts'? Experts in any field have been known to disagree with one another. Strenuously.
What he's been smoking? I'm asking for a friend.
zeroworkKwan
Mr Litton is well known being pro-CCP long time ago. Is his words trustworthy? I highly doubt it
Who needs an expert for the obvious? I hope he does not get paid for his “expertise”
'Legal expert' from China?😑
The new National Security Law applies to all people, including non-Hongkongers outside HK. If you have ever publicly supported HK and Taiwan, Uyghur and Tibet, you have already broken the law, while you might face at least 3 years of jail sentence once you step on the land of HK.
“overblown”... In view of Communist China’s notorious record of human rights abuses, it’s obvious that the NationalSecurityLaw in Hong Kong is just a skeleton key to protect the authoritarian regime... StandWithHongKong
Criticise China CCP then people be sentenced 4 years. This is the rule of CCP. Legal expert’s mindset is not available for CCP. As we never know what CCP is thinking about.
Huh very persuasive when a piece of white paper can threaten national security
It's just like here in Canada so called experts would say the same thing ohh people are over reacting with the contact tracing app. But is is not a overreaction .
It's Hong Kong government and police overblown on people's protest and so impose security law, what's the threat holding blank paper? This law doesn't serve to secure people, but security of regime's power.
The so called expert is overblown.
Is NationalSecurityLaw not bad enough? Books are banned from libraries, words became illegal, secret police headquarter set up downtown, public opinion research institute raid. I'm so sick of 'experts' talking over us
NSL don’t affect Hong Kong judicial system? He must be too ignorant, NSL bypass HK judiciary system!! Obviously CCP is abusing the law, remove democratic books, interrupt voting democratic candidates for coming election. HK lost justices & rule of law, does Mr. Litton alert it?
No, it’s not “overblown” when they already banned books and songs, arrested people for chanting slogans and even just for holding up blank pieces of paper. Sad to see “legal experts” helping to whitewash CCP’s draconian Law🙄
It is the professionalism, ethics& integrity of this legal expert which r overblown! W/ the authorities endowed unlimited power by this NationalSecurityLaw, collapse of Judiciary by designation of Judges on NSL cases & unsolved HKPoliceBrutality, No one is not threatened!
When you see foreign companies are moving out from HK, then you know where is this so-called legal expert coming from. Or should I say who is his *boss* 👇
Come and live in Hong Kong for one month. You won't need an explanation then You would feel safe with a government like this?
Yes, not bad as long as you take this for granted.
It is not that bad as long as you bow down to the dictator. If someone has no freedom to leave their country, what kind of shitty country it is?
Shame on you.
Legal expert from HK, controlled by Beijing says new laws implemented by Beijing aren't that bad.... 'Remember what happened to the doc who spoke out about COVID?'
Hm not when they put in an article 38 that technically gives them power to arrest anyone as soon as they step in Hong Kong
Obviously! That’s because those countries always use double standards when they try to abuse other countries don’t agree with their crappy standards! Stop meddling with other countries’ internal affairs!
Will your Canadian government specifically target a city? To make laws specifically about the city.
Don't think it's overblown
How much did China pay you to write this article?
Seems the argument is essentially the law won't really change anything. If that's true why pass the law?
China violated the terms of their own treaty. Nothing is overblown compared to that. 🤯
You'll say anything to cover for the CCP.