According to a press release issued by the HKSAR Government on August 14, Chris Patten viciously slandered the judgment of the HKSAR Court of Final Appeal (CFA) on the involvement of the defendants, including Jimmy Lai, in the case of an unauthorised assembly, on the 14th, the HKSAR Government strongly condemned and firmly opposed the arbitrary name calling made by the overseas non-permanent judge, David Neuberger, Baron Neuberger of Abbotsbury.
Headquarters of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Infographic
According to the press release, a HKSAR Government spokesman said that Chris Patten’s defamatory remarks clearly disregarded the detailed legal analysis and the factual background of the case contained in the 76-page judgment of the court of Final Appeal, the mere attempt to exert political pressure on the judges of the court of final appeal to influence the judicial system of the HKSAR is a despicable political manoeuvre.
A spokesman for the HKSAR Government said that Chris Patten’s criticism of the non-permanent judge in the case, Lord David Neuberger, Baron Neuberger of Abbotsbury, was even more name calling and unjustified. It was intended to tarnish the reputation of the non-permanent judge, it has fully exposed its sinister attempts to undermine the system of non-permanent judges. In fact, judges, including non-permanent judges of the court of Final Appeal (Cfa) , have given very detailed legal analysis and account of the judgment in their judgments, including the authoritative interpretation and amendment of the legal concept of“Proportionality of enforcement” within the established framework for handling constitutional challenges in Hong Kong, the reasons why the courts in Hong Kong should not follow the two cases in the United Kingdom are also clearly explained in the jurisprudence.
In conclusion, the spokesman said that Hong Kong is a society with the rule of law and people enjoy freedom of speech. Anyone has the right to express an opinion on the court’s decision to the extent permitted by law, but should never attack or slander judges, and even politically motivated baseless accusations. Chris Patten had deliberately ignored the judgment issued by Lord David Neuberger, Baron Neuberger of Abbotsbury and had unreasonably accused the judge of failing to properly explain his reasoning. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government strongly condemns his inappropriate remarks and excessive actions.
According to media reports, the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal unanimously rejected the appeal of Jimmy Lai and seven other appellants on August 18,2019 for knowingly participating in an unlawful assembly. Hong Kong SAR government issued a press release the same day, said the court of Final Appeal welcomed the verdict. The HKSAR Government reiterates that Hong Kong citizens have the lawful right to peaceful assembly and procession, but the exercise of these rights must comply with the relevant legislation, to ensure the maintenance of national security, public order, public safety and the protection of the rights and freedoms of others and to minimize the impact of public events on the public. A spokesman for the HKSAR Government said that, “Hong Kong residents have an obligation to abide by the laws in force in the HKSAR. Equality before the law is one of the fundamental elements of the rule of law, and everyone, regardless of race, class, political opinion or religious belief, must be guided by local laws.”