An Incomplete Victory: The Implications of QT v Director of Immigration for the Protection of Gay Rights in Hong Kong

QT v Director of Immigration is the most important decision on gay rights in Hong Kong since the unequal ages of consent between heterosexuals and homosexuals were held to be unconstitutional 10 years ago. The Court of Appeal of Hong Kong affirmed the right of same‐sex couples married or in a civil partnership overseas to be treated on an equal basis with married heterosexual couples. This note considers the strengths and shortcomings of the Court of Appeal's reasoning, in terms of its potential significance both to the rights of sexual minorities and to the wider protection of human rights by means of the common law.     

The treatment of Chinese customary law in British colonial Hong Kong

A struggle has been underway in Beijing, othering Hong Kong’s British common law legal system by rhetorically subordinating it as a foreign colonial relic. How did the British develop their Hong Kong governance policies for proper law, as they ruled Hong Kong? These policies developed without resort to all the available scholarship, so that they could other the Hong Kong people into a subaltern group. Hong Kong was already constituted as a township with its own continuing township liturgy, customary ritual and social structure. The colonial administration ignored this, creating a Hong Kong subaltern.     

Legislation

On Sunday, 6 August 2006, at 2.30 a.m., the Hong Kong Legislative Council, after a prolonged and at times litigious debate, passed the Interception of Communications Surveillance Ordinance (ICO) in Hong Kong with a vote of 32–0. The ICO is the first successful attempt to regulate the interception of citizens' private communications by the Hong Kong government. A review of the literature shows that there has been no comprehensive, systematic and critical assessment of the IOC since its passage. This article provides a critical assessment of ICO, with a twist. Instead of evaluating the ICO based on preconceived and conventional Western jurisprudential principles and foreign legal practices, the article assesses ICO with reference to prevailing (Chinese‐Hong Kong) cultural standards from within, i.e. that of Qing‐Li‐Fa (QLF).     

Dragon brothers and tiger sisters: A conceptual typology of counter-cultural actors and activities of American Chinatowns, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, 1912–2004

In the past 20 years, criminal activities directed by Chinese, Hong Kongese, and/or Taiwanese have increasingly become a mainstream topic in criminology and criminal justice. Despite the fact that many books, reports, articles, and monographs on the Chinese, Hong Kongese, or Taiwanese organized crime enterprises (as well as gangs) have been published, a comprehensive conceptual framework which would assist criminologists and criminal justice professionals in examining the political, religious, social and other aspects of structured counter-cultural activities and major players in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and American Chinatowns seems not to have been proposed yet. The purpose of this paper is to advance a typology that would help academics and law enforcement agents to identify and evaluate the diversities of underworlds of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and American Chinatowns. This taxonomy consists of three factors: organizational structure, participation in politics or revolutionary movements, and ideology. Each of these variables is further divided into complicated/loose, frequent/infrequent/, and distinctive/indistinctive levels. Based on such a categorization, the counter-cultural elements of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan during the period of 1912 to 2004 are classified as CFD, LFD, CFI, LID, CID, CII, LFI, and LII types, as can be characterized respectively by Republican Revolution-involved Triads and tongs; ultra-nationalists; the Shanghai Green Gangs of the 1920s and 1930s; modern Green Gangs; organized Chinese refugee gangs; Chinese-controlled pirate groups; jiaotou brothers of Taiwan; and ordinary Chinese/Taiwanese street gangs.Hua-Lun Huang (hxh0555@louisiana.edu edu) is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. His specialized areas include Chinese and Japanese secret societies, Chinese and Japanese organized crime, and pirates of East Asia.     

论香港与内地法院间对判决的相互承认及执行

在香港回归以前,由于国内判决只享有"外国判决"的地位,因此在香港只能按照普通程序执行。香港回归以后,根据《外地判决(交互强制执行)条例》所订登记制度的规定,却不能适用于内地判决。基于此,讨论了在大陆和香港两套法律体制并存的情况下,怎样承认及执行双方的民事判决,以及由此所遇到的困难和产生的问题。深入研究了最高人民法院的《关于内地与香港特别行政区法院相互委托送达民商事司法文书的安排》以及最高人民法院与香港律政司签署的《关于内地与香港特别行政区相互执行仲裁裁决的安排》两份文件,并通过与其他国家处理国内区际司法协助的做法以及香港回归以前所适用的国际条款作比较,推导和分析了回归后国内与香港特区之间在司法协助问题上所应遵循的一般原则。     

Scholarly Influence in Criminology and Criminal Justice of China

Scholarly influence in criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) is not a new topic. However, in terms of international scholarly influence in Chinese criminology, there still exists no relevant literature, though emphasis on studying China has been increasingly recognized by the international criminological academy. The current study conducts a comprehensive analysis of 191 CCJ articles on China from 20 mainstream CCJ journals and locates those who have done work on Chinese criminology. By productivity and citation analysis, we obtain several rankings of the scholarly influence in Chinese criminology. The most prolific individual identified by the current study is Jianhong Liu; the most productive institution is the City University of Hong Kong; the most-cited scholar is Steven Messner, and the most-cited work is Policing and Punishment in China: From Patriarchy to ‘The People’ by Michael Dutton. Though the current study focuses on Chinese criminology, few local mainland Chinese scholars and publications in Chinese are among the dominant contributions.

     

Controlling corruption in city-states: A comparative study of Hong Kong and Singapore

This comparative study of anti-corruption strategies in Singapore and Hong Kong has four sections. The first two sections focus on the anti-corruption strategies adopted by both city-states with emphasis on the legislative and institutional measures. The third section discusses the similarities and differences in the anti-corruption strategies and evaluates their effectiveness. The final section identifies the six lessons which other countries can learn from the experiences of Singapore and Hong Kong in curbing corruption.Revised version of paper presented at the Third International Conference on Ethics in the Public Service on Corruption in a Changing World: Comparisons, Theories and Controlling Strategies, in Jerusalem, June 6–11, 1993. I would like to thank Professor Ian Scott, Head of the Department of Political Science, University of Hong Kong, for sending me materials on the ICAC and Hong Kong's anti-corruption strategy, and Professor Michael Johnston for his useful comments on the paper.     

香港与中央的“违宪审查”协调

在香港基本法的设计中 ,中央与香港均拥有基本法解释权及审查权。如果两者不能在权限、管辖、程序及释义方面达成一定的默契 ,就会引发宪制危机。本文在分析两地法治传统和宪制模式的差异以及香港基本法对“违宪审查权”的制度设计后 ,提出中央和香港应本着相互理解和宽容的原则 ,按照中国宪法体制与英美法制传统相结合的思路 ,在基本法所设计的中央与特区分权的制度框架内进行协调 ,以避免和化解这种冲突。     

The Chinese laundry: International drug trafficking and Hong Kong's banking industry

Hong Kong — Britain's Crown Colony in Asia — is reputed to be one of the world's leading centers for the laundering¹ of drug money. Located on the southeast coast of China, Hong Kong is not far from the Golden Triangle in Burma, Laos and Thailand, the source of much of the world's heroin supply. Ethnic Chinese criminal organizations based in Hong Kong and elsewhere have long been involved in the refining, transporting and financing of Southeast Asian heroin. With its bank secrecy laws, its large and sophisticated international banking industry, and its complete absence of currency exchange controls, Hong Kong has all of the necessary components of a modern financial secrecy jurisdiction. It is alleged that billions of dollars are being washed in Hong Kong by both local and overseas drug traffickers, to be reinvested eventually throughout the world. Hong Kong government officials deny the allegation, and cite other reasons to account for the vast sums of U.S. currency that are being repatriated to the West Coast. This paper examines critically the arguments for both positions.     

Development of the Nationality Law of China

With the deepening of globalization, many provisions in the Nationality Law of China promulgated in 1980 are already out of time and some provisions are easy to trigger dual nationalities. Consequently, while sticking to the basic principle of the Nationality Law, certain provisions of the Nationality Law of China should be gradually improved according to the present situation of international and domestic development, and the implementing guidelines for the Nationality Law should be introduced to construct a relatively complete legal system to adjust and regulate various relationships of nationality. Song Xixiang, majoring in international law, Hong Kong and Macao law, is a professor of law and the dean of Law School of Shanghai International Studies University. Now, he is also a doctoral candidate of Wuhan University. Meanwhile, Prof. Song is an executive director of the China Society of Private International Law and of the China Society of International Law and of the China Society of International Economical Law, etc. Moreover, he is a vice chairman of Hong Kong and Macao and Taiwan Law Association.     

"If I lie, I tell you, may heaven and earth destroy me." Language and Legal Consciousness in Hong Kong Bilingual Common Law

Based on an ethnographic study of courtroom interactions in the bilingual (Chinese/English) common law system in Hong Kong, this article investigates how language plays a constitutive role in shaping the ways people use, argue, and think about law. While the use of English in Hong Kong prescribes by default the supposedly universal speech act of statement-making, the presence of Cantonese allows local speech acts to be brought into the courtrooms. Two local speech acts, "catching fleas in words" and "speaking bitterness," are discussed. The findings of this study suggest that by studying the local practices and beliefs in postcolonial settings, researchers can gain insights into the complex ways in which Anglo American–style legal institutions are reconstituted.     

粤港澳区际反黑警务合作的回顾与前瞻

广东地处华南，毗邻港澳，是内地最早受到港澳黑社会渗透的地区之一。为共同打击黑社会跨境犯罪，粤港澳警务部门较早并有效地开展了多渠道、多层次的反黑合作。共同维护了粤港澳地区的社会治安稳定。伴随着粤港澳三地经贸和人员往来的日益密切，黑社会跨境犯罪在一段时期内将有所增多。面对出现的新问题和新动向，粤港澳警方应深化合作、创新机制，高效打击黑社会罪案。     

Corporate manslaughter: A cultural and legal form

This article is a revised version of a paper originally presented at the eighth international conference of the Society for the Reform of Criminal Law, Hong Kong, December 4–8, 1994, It draws on research I undertook while writingNegotiating Tragedy: Law and Disasters (1995).     

How Filipina Maids Are Treated in Hong Kong—A Comparison Between Chinese and Western Employers

This study compares Chinese and Western employers in Hong Kong in terms of their treatment of Filipina domestic helpers in four major areas: atmosphere of work environment, consideration, social psychological distance, and personal space. The data were based on in-depth and structured interviews, mainly with Filipina helpers who have served both types of employers. A few Chinese and Western employers were also interviewed. The findings indicate that the Filipina maids, in general, are more satisfied with their Western employers, who tend to provide them with an easier and more comfortable work environment; are more considerate; are more likely to treat them on equal terms; and to allow them more personal space. Within group variations in the treatment of maids are greater among Chinese employers than Western employers. This means that, in terms of the treatment of Filipina maids, Western employers in Hong Kong are more homogeneous and tend to concentrate on the positive side, whereas Chinese employers are more diversified.     

CHINATOWN'S IMMIGRANT GANGS

The rise of Chinese youth gangs in urban centers in North America is a social phenomenon that has gained prominence in the past decade and a half. This study examines the characteristics and processes of four gangs operating in the Chinatown of Vancouver, Canada, over a three-year period (1975-1978). The gangs were composed entirely of teenaged immigrants recently arrived from Hong Kong who were engaged in a wide variety of antisocial and criminal behaviors. Three sociocultural antecendents are identified as important in the development of Chinese youth gangs: (1) the weakening among many Hong Kong immigrants of the traditional Chinese pattern of close parental guidance and supervision; (2) the resultant emergence of youth peer-groups who challenge parental authority and Chinese values; (3) the strong attraction of North American success symbols for gang members, and their perceived inability to achieve success through legitimate means because of difficulties in learning English.     

Recourse against Arbitral Awards: How Far Can a Court Go? Supportive and Supervisory Role of Hong Kong Courts as Lessons to Mainland China Arbitration

Through a comprehensive comparison of various circumstancesof recourse against arbitral awards in both Hong Kong and MainlandChina, this article attempts to explore the underlying reasonsfor different approaches in the two jurisdictions, which tracesorigins back to the legal system, judicial culture and arbitrationenvironment. Since Hong Kong's experience in the court's supportiveand supervisory role regarding arbitral awards is more advanced,it should be borrowed by the Mainland in any future potentialreform. The article argues that the reform and modernizationof national arbitration legislation, whether in Hong Kong orin Mainland China, demonstrates different translation phasesof the UNCITRAL Model Law. Given the special relationship betweenthe two jurisdictions, a perfect arbitration environment inChina should be fostered by combined efforts of both sides.     

When arbitration clause and oppression claim collide

The question regarding the position of arbitration clauses within the context of shareholders’ protection under company law rules has been dealt with in a decision from the United Kingdom, Exeter, which upheld the inalienable right of the members to bring an oppression claim despite the presence of an arbitration agreement. The issue was recently revisited in several common law jurisdictions – United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong with mixed results. The article discusses this development to clarify the scope, breadth and limits of the arbitration clause within company law.     

沦"儿童最大利益优先原则"在中国的确立——兼论《婚姻法》等相关法律的不足及其完善

International documents like the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) propose that in mediating on children issues, the best interests of the child should be the primary consideration. In China, the Constitution and the Law on the Protection of Minors have already set out the terms in principle for the protection of minors, however, it has not been defined in the Marriage Law (2001). In order to enforce the commitment of respecting and safeguarding human rights, the child’s best interest principle should be established in marriage and family law, along with amending related provisions. Chen Wei is a professor of law, and director of the Research Center for Foreign Family Law and Women Theories in the China Southwest University of Political Science and Law. She is in the teachings of civil law, family law, law of succession, the history of civil law and comparative family law for years. During 2003–2004, Prof. Chen, being a visiting scholar, studied foreign family laws in the Faculty of Law, Sydney University. In academic field, she has published over 50 research articles in China and abroad; and her monograph is Research on the Legislations of Marriage and Family Law of China (2000). Further, she has taken charge of editing over 10 books, for instance, A Comparative Study of Family Laws between the Mainland and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan of China (2002), A Comparative Study of Foreign Marriage and Family Law (2006) and A Comparative Study of Succession Laws among the Mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan of China (2007).     

Internet intermediaries: The liability for defamatory postings in China and Hong Kong

The debate between protecting the freedom of expression on the one hand and the right to an individual privacy on the other is not new. Certainly with the introduction of the Internet, the debate has moved onto a whole new level. While no-one disputes that the Internet has significantly transformed lives by allowing netizens to create, share, and communicate within the global village, the Internet has also provided the means to publish and disseminate false information and derogatory remarks callously and expediently. The aim of this paper is to provide a brief comparative study of the approaches in China and in Hong Kong with respect to Internet intermediary liability for defamatory postings and whether the approaches taken provide the necessary balance between the right of free expression and the right to protect one’s reputation. The paper starts by dealing with the position in China pre and post Tort Liability Law. The paper then continues by examining the position in Hong Kong focusing particularly on the recent Court of Appeal decision in Oriental Press Group Ltd v Fevaworks Solutions Ltd. In comparing the position in China and Hong Kong, the paper provides a conclusion as a possible way forward for Internet intermediary liability in China and Hong Kong.     

Punishing corporate criminals with restraint

This article is a revised version of a paper originally written for, and presented at, the eighth international conference of the Society for the Reform of Criminal Law, Hong Kong, December 4–8, 1994. Parts have been published in Don Stuart,Canadian Criminal Law 575-91 (3d ed. 1995).