INTRODUCTION

Hong Kong is regularly cited as an example where the rule of law could flourish without democracy. As a former British colony for 150 years, it has inherited the legacy of the British common law. It is a major international financial centre and one of the largest capital markets in the world. It is a vibrant, dynamic, cosmopolitan city where the rule of law flourished, and fundamental rights were respected. In 1997, it became a special administrative region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), enjoying a high degree of autonomy under the unique constitutional model of ‘One Country, Two Systems’. Under this model, it retains its previous legal, social and economic systems. The rule of law lies at the core of its constitutional values, which are well grounded in Western liberalism and the doctrine of separation of powers. Yet it is embedded within an ambitious, powerful and authoritarian socialist sovereign power which rejects separation of powers and individual liberalism, and which is sceptical about judicial independence. At the same time, as a former British colony and a special administrative region of the PRC, Hong Kong has made little progress in developing its democratic system. The demand for democracy was initially accommodated, but as events unfolded, it was perceived to be a threat to national security. The Central Government responded by the imposition of a new National Security Law (NSL) on Hong Kong in 2020.