Hong Kong has decided against using a jury for the first trial under a sweeping national security law imposed by Beijing, a legal source with …
Hong Kong has decided against using a jury for the first trial under a sweeping national security law imposed by Beijing, a legal source with direct knowledge of the case told AFP on Monday. Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng informed the defendant’s legal team in early February, citing «the personal safety of jurors and their family members», the source said. Instead the trial will be heard by three judges who have been appointed to try national security cases. A Department of Justice spokesperson declined to comment when asked by AFP because proceedings were ongoing. The spokesperson for the judiciary also declined to comment «on individual cases». Trial by jury has been used by Hong Kong’s common law legal system for 176 years and is described by the city’s own justice department as one of the judiciary’s «most important features». But the new national security law — which was imposed by fiat last June — allows for trials to be heard by dedicated national security judges in some circumstances.
