The Hong Kong government has hit out at US senators who have introduced a bill that could lead to sanctions on judges and prosecutors from the city, calling any attempt to interfere with the judicial system “reprehensible”.
Authorities voiced their criticism on Saturday as Beijing’s top envoy in the city also said the rise of unilateralism and protectionism posed “a certain amount of challenges” to Hong Kong’s development.
The Hong Kong Judicial Sanctions Act, introduced to the United States Senate this week, could lead to a mandatory review on whether to impose sanctions on 45 people under American law.
The list includes several of the city’s top judges and lawyers, such as Chief Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung, Court of First Instance Judge Alex Lee Wan-tang and Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Anthony Chau Tin-hang.
Lee is one of three judges that presided over a landmark trial of 47 opposition activists, while Chau is a key prosecutor in cases related to the 2019 anti-government protests.
A similar bill was introduced to the US House of Representatives in January by Young Kim and Jim McGovern. They have sought sanctions on 48 officials, judges and prosecutors, some of whom are also named in the latest list.
