Thousands of black-clad Hong Kong lawyers took to the streets Thursday in a silent march against a controversial extradition law proposal, as the city…
Thousands of black-clad Hong Kong lawyers took to the streets Thursday in a silent march against a controversial extradition law proposal, as the city’s last colonial governor slammed the plan as « a terrible blow ».
The city’s pro-Beijing government is pushing a bill through the legislature that would allow extraditions to any jurisdiction with which it doesn’t already have a treaty — including mainland China for the first time.
The proposal has sparked some of the biggest protests the city has seen in recent years as well as criticism from influential legal groups, business associations and western diplomats.
This week has seen escalating criticism from the city’s influential legal communities, including the Law Society — which published a detailed critique of the proposals — adding to opposition already voiced by the Bar Association and multiple chambers of commerce.
Critics fear the law, if passed, will entangle people in China’s opaque and politicised court system.
