TODAY – Extradition Laws: Closing a Loophole or Endangering Hong Kong’s Rule of Law?

Faced with the case of a Hong Kong citizen suspected to have committed murder in Taiwan, the Hong Kong government has proposed to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance to facilitate extradition between the two parties. The controversial plan to change the law to allow the transfer of those in Hong Kong to jurisdictions including mainland China, Taiwan and Macau has faced opposition from the business, legal, media and diplomatic communities, including the Hong Kong Bar Association and the American Chamber of Commerce. A protest of several thousand took place on March 31.The two panelists hold opposite views on the topic. Mr. Kwok’s position is that the amendments have been proposed and advanced under false pretenses. He mentioned alternatives that he views as less damaging to Hong Kong. Mr. Tong argued that extradition processes are a necessary tool in modern society to combat social injustice and serious criminal allegations.

Mr. Kwok has been a member of the Legislative Council since 2012, representing the legal profession in Hong Kong. He is a founding member of the Civic Party. He focuses on the protection of the doctrine of “One Country Two Systems,” the rule of law and human rights issues.

Mr. Ronny Tong, QC, SC, JP is a non-official member of the Executive Council of Hong Kong. He co-founded the Civic Party. He represented the New Territories East in LegCo from 2004 to 2015. He currently is the convenor of a think tank, Path of Democracy.