London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 01, 2025

Freedoms are no cover for breaking the law: Hong Kong justice secretary

Freedoms are no cover for breaking the law: Hong Kong justice secretary

Teresa Cheng urges public to appreciate that competing rights must limit the freedoms of demonstration, assembly, expression.

Hong Kong’s justice minister has warned that freedoms of expression and assembly do not absolve those breaking the law of criminal responsibility, as she defended the jailing of media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and others for their roles in illegal gatherings during the 2019 protests.

Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah stressed such rights were not absolute when she urged the public on Monday to recognise the legal principles limiting the freedoms and the trade-off necessary for maintaining order.

“Both the Basic Law [the city’s mini-constitution] and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights guarantee the freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, procession and demonstration as fundamental rights,” Cheng wrote in her official blog.

“At the same time, they also recognise that these rights are not absolute and are subject to restrictions, which are necessary for respecting the rights of others and protection of public order.”

The secretary for justice defended the sentences handed down to Lai and several opposition figures a day after Beijing’s top office in Hong Kong accused Bar Association chairman Paul Harris of abandoning his professional ethics and the rule of law by speaking out against the punishments.

The central government liaison office spokesman also called Harris an “anti-China politician” and suggested the Bar Association remove him as its chairman.

Harris stepped into controversy last week over his championing of the right to peaceful protests after Lai and nine other opposition figures were convicted in relation to illegal assemblies staged in August 2019.

During a media interview, Harris noted it was the first time a Hong Kong court had imposed prison terms for illegal assembly, arguing peaceful demonstrations were a legal means for people to express their grievances. Otherwise, he said that resentment could turn to “damaging channels, which can include violence”.

Cheng’s blog piece on Monday did not directly refer to Harris or the court rulings on Lai and the other defendants, but her remarks will be widely seen as directed at the lawyer’s intervention.

Quoting rulings from the Court of Final Appeal last year over the constitutionality of the anti-mask law and the emergency regulation ordinance, she said: “As will be apparent from its wording, the freedom of assembly, procession and demonstration under … the Bill of Rights is not absolute but is subject to lawful restrictions including the interests of public safety, public order and the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.”

Teresa Cheng, Hong Kong’s secretary for justice.


Cheng also noted the recent Court of Appeal ruling that upheld the constitutionality of the restrictions the government imposed on protesters using the open square outside the government headquarters in Admiralty.

She wrote: “The Court of Appeal has now affirmed that while the government has a duty to facilitate public expression of opinions at or near its premises, it must also ensure this does not compromise the normal and effective operation and public safety including the safety of the other users of the premises.”

Lai was among 10 prominent opposition figures sentenced at West Kowloon Court earlier this month for their roles in two illegal marches during the 2019 anti-government protests.

Five of the group were jailed for between eight and 18 months, with the rest handed suspended sentences.

Lai was convicted of organising and taking part in an unauthorised assembly by turning a lawful gathering of an estimated 300,000 people in Victoria Park into an illegal march to Central on August 18, 2019.

In sharp contrast to the often violent clashes between police and protests during the 2019 social unrest, the August 18 demonstration was largely peaceful.

Separately, Lai was convicted of taking part in an illegal rally on August 31, 2019, when more than 2,000 people defied a police ban and marched from Wan Chai to Central.

Lai was jailed for a total of 14 months in those two cases.

The United States, Britain and Canada have raised concerns over the sentences.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the prosecution of leading opposition figures was “unacceptable”, while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanded the release of “those detained or imprisoned for exercising their fundamental freedoms”.

Marc Garneau, the Canadian foreign affairs minister, also described the sentences as a “stifling of peaceful political expression”.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
×