On April 11, an extraordinary trial concluded in the District Court (DCCC 210/2023). Joseph John, also known as Wong Kin-chung, who holds a Hong Kong permanent identity card as well as a Portuguese passport, pleaded guilty to an offense of conspiring to incite others to commit secession through online posts. He styled himself the "president" of the "Hong Kong Independence Party", and operated its Facebook and other social media accounts, including a United Kingdom-registered website.

Although the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO) is undoubtedly robust, it would be of little value if it did not cover all bases. It contains a comprehensive set of laws, which nicely complement the regime created by the National Security Law for Hong Kong (NSL) in 2020. With its enactment, the process of ensuring national security and the security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is complete, and economic development can now be prioritized.

In 1971, the courts in Hong Kong were given the power to suspend sentences of imprisonment. Although a sentence can only be suspended if the offender has been sentenced to not more than two years' imprisonment, judges and magistrates regularly deploy suspended sentences.

The event that sticks most in my mind from 2003 when I served as the Director of Public Prosecutions was the failed attempt by CH Tung's government to enact the BL Art.23 national security proposals.

"A good example," said Pope Francis, "brings about so much good, but hypocrisy brings about so much evil."

Although it was inevitable the West's anti-China forces would criticize Hong Kong's Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (the Ordinance), which was passed by the Legislative Council on March 19, its shameless myth-making exceeded expectations. Regardless of its content, they viewed it as just another stick with which to beat Hong Kong. The usual suspects all weighed in, with nobody bothering to understand the Ordinance's human rights protections.

On March 14, when the Safeguarding National Security Bill (the bill) was scrutinized by a Legislative Council bills committee, the government proposed several amendments. The most significant involved empowering the chief executive, acting in conjunction with the Executive Council, to make subsidiary legislation to safeguard national security.

As the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government's consultation exercise on the Article 23 legislation was about to conclude, an extraordinary intervention occurred. On Feb 27, its penultimate day, the United Kingdom's foreign secretary, Lord (David) Cameron, weighed in with an impudent request that recalled Britain's imperial past. He said, "I strongly urge the Hong Kong SAR government to re-consider their proposals and engage in genuine and meaningful consultation with the people of Hong Kong."

On Feb 16, the convenor of the executive council, Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, said there had been no official statements from foreign countries opposing or discrediting the Article 23 legislation consultation paper. She said she believed they were still studying the proposals and would hopefully reach balanced conclusions.

In the consultation exercise it launched on Jan 30, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government unveiled its thoughts on the shape of its forthcoming national security legislation, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. The Basic Law requires the government to enact national security laws (Article 23), and a comprehensive package was unveiled, extending beyond what is strictly required. Whereas existing laws will be modernized, including espionage, sedition and treason, conduct such as foreign interference, insurrection and sabotage will be criminalized.

The United Kingdom's Parliament in Westminster is among the world's oldest legislatures. Although the political parties have always insisted their members of Parliament toe the party line, there is a long tradition of independent thinking. Whereas politicians who challenged the prevailing orthodoxies sometimes faced repercussions, history has been their judge.

I refer to your letter to Lord Patten of Barnes, dated January 3, 2024, in response to his letter, dated December 8, 2023.

In 2022, Liz Truss made history. Having become the UK's prime minister on Sept 6, she lasted for only 49 days, until Oct 25. It was not only the shortest tenure in British history, but also one of the most abysmal.

The National Security Law for Hong Kong (NSL) could hardly be more precise. It requires the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to "promote national security education in schools and universities and through social organizations, the media, the internet and other means to raise the awareness of Hong Kong residents of national security and of the obligation to abide by the law" (Art.10).

Although the trial of the former media magnate Jimmy Lai Chee-ying on charges involving sedition and collusion with foreign forces, was scheduled to begin on Dec 18, there were last-minute attempts from abroad to disrupt it.