In the wake of China’s attack on a Hong Kong court ruling, the Law Society of Hong Kong has warned that ‘nothing should be said or done that will undermine judicial independence and the rule of law’.

In a statement published today, Hong Kong’s Law Society said judicial independence is ‘fundamental to the region’s common law system’, citing Article 85 of the Basic Law. 

Having said it does not comment on individual cases, the Society added: ‘It is important to reiterate that nothing should be said or done that will undermine, or will be perceived to undermine, judicial independence and the rule of law in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; both of which are fundamental to the region’s common law legal system.’

Earlier this week China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) attacked a Hong Kong court ruling that overturned a controversial mask ban. A spokesperson for the NPC said members of its law and labour committee had ‘expressed serious concern’ and ‘strong dissatisfaction’ over the ruling, which found the emergency powers invoked by chief executive Carrie Lam in order to introduce the mask ban did not accord with Basic Law. 

The Hong Kong Law Society said it has ‘full confidence’ in the independence and role of Hong Kong's courts and the proper functioning of the judicial and legal systems.