How has Hong Kong weaponized its judiciary to target dissent?
The trial of media tycoon Jimmy Lai and a separate case against pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong are set to proceed without juries, according to media reports.
Media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai and many others face increasingly tough legal battles in Hong Kong
Two high-profile national security cases in Hong Kong will proceed without juries, according to the media in the former British colony, with some analysts interpreting this as another signal of failing judicial independence.
One of the cases concerns high-profile media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who faces charges of colluding with foreign forces and distributing seditious publications. The other one is aimed against 47 pro-democracy figures who were charged with "conspiracy to subversion" under Hong Kong's National Security Law (NSL).
Though trial by jury has been a long tradition in Hong Kong’s common law system, the NSL allows cases to be heard by government-appointed judges. The legislation was imposed by Beijing in 2020, following years of pro-democracy protests.
Fewer juries make government 'more confident'
Last month, a UN human rights committee expressed concerns about the practice of no-jury trials. Despite those concerns, however, Hong Kong's High Court set a precedent by hearing the national security case against activist Tong Ying-kit without a jury, and handing him a nine-year sentence.
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