A Hong Kong court has rejected a plea from Catholic pro-democracy activist and business tycoon Jimmy Lai challenging a government decision to deny permission for a foreign lawyer for his trial in a slew of criminal cases.
Lai, 75, had requested a judicial review last month after Hong Kong’s national security committee had advised the immigration chief to reject any future visa applications for his overseas counsel Timothy Owen, Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) reported on May 19.
Jeremy Poon, the High Court chief judge, in a written ruling, stated that Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) courts do not have jurisdiction over the national security committee’s work according to the security law.
“The HKSAR courts, as courts of a local administrative region, are not vested with any role or power over such matters of the [central government],” Poon said in his ruling.