Hong Kong court sent wrong signals to radical protesters over face mask ban, say mainland Chinese analysts
- The High Court’s decision to strike down the prohibition on facial coverings was criticised by mainland legal scholars
- Some analysts believe Beijing may intervene to ‘correct’ the Basic Law if an appeal by the city’s government is unsuccessful
A ruling by the Hong Kong High Court on Monday that the government’s anti-mask law was unconstitutional has sent the wrong message to the radical protesters, according to mainland analysts.
They said that the outcome of an expected appeal by the city’s government would determine whether Beijing would intervene.
The academics also expressed worries that the ruling may reinforce the suspicion that the Hong Kong judiciary has taken a too lenient approach to cases that involve national security and sovereignty.
In a closely watched judicial review case brought by pro-democracy politicians, two Hong Kong High Court judges ruled on Monday that the mask ban introduced by the Hong Kong government under emergency legislation was “incompatible with the Basic Law”, the city’s mini-constitution.
Li Xiaobing, a Hong Kong specialist and law professor at Nankai University in Tianjin, described the ruling as “unwise” and feared it would send the wrong message to the radical protesters.
