Following the NPCSC's interpretation of the Basic Law, the Hong Kong government said it would actively study amendments to the Legal Practitioners Ordinance.
Maria Tam Wai-chu, deputy director of the Hong Kong Basic Law Committee, said that the most likely direction of the amendment would be to ban all overseas lawyers from coming to Hong Kong to take part in law cases related to national security.
"The NPCSC's interpretation of the Basic Law is not about an individual, but about the general principle, so it will not be a matter for just one person," Tam said.
In addition, Tam believes that the Department of Justice will not call for "external assistance" to handle national security-related law cases. She believes that overseas lawyers are not allowed to act as prosecution lawyers in national security-related cases, as there is also a risk that the prosecution lawyers may reveal more sensitive information.
She also said that the Bar Association had said earlier that HK had the sufficient legal talent to deal with national security law cases and urged the public to have confidence.
The case of Jimmy Lai, which led to the NPCSC's interpretation of the Basic Law, was postponed until September this year, and Tam believes that the legislative amendments should also be completed by September.
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