Hong Kong legal heavyweights said on Monday that baseless accusations and politically motivated criticism of ongoing national security trials will not undermine the city’s robust, principled and enduring practice of the rule of law.

They added that any disagreement with trials or verdicts reached should be based on facts, and that threats of sanctions or illegitimate pressure put on judges is subverting justice and will not be tolerated in a society governed by the rule of law.

A ceremonial opening was held at Edinburgh Place in Central on Monday to mark the opening of Hong Kong’s Legal Year 2026.

Hong Kong Chief Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung inspected a ceremonial guard of the Hong Kong Police Force before delivering a speech to attendees of the ceremony.

Cheung said that the recent conviction of media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, founder of the now-defunct tabloid Apple Daily, aroused criticism of the prosecution and verdicts, as well as the courts and rule of law in Hong Kong generally.

On Dec 15, Lai and three Apple Daily-related companies were found guilty of conspiracy to publish seditious materials and conspiracy to collude with external forces. Lai was also convicted of a separate charge of conspiring to collude with external forces. Sentencing for Lai and other defendants will be handed down at a later date.

Cheung stated that while public commentary on cases - some driven by geopolitical intentions - could be varied, meaningful criticism must be grounded in a proper understanding of legal proceedings.

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“The strength of our justice system lies in its adherence to the law and its openness to scrutiny,” Cheung told an audience comprising local and international legal figures.

He emphasized that the rule of law in Hong Kong is far more robust and enduring than the outcome of any single case.

“It cannot be that the rule of law is alive one day, dead the next, and resurrected on the third, depending on whether the government or another party happens to prevail in court on a particular day,” he said. “Such a claim needs only to be stated to highlight how untenable it is.”

He firmly rejected what he termed “bald and unsubstantiated allegations” that judges might be influenced by political considerations, stating that such claims “should not be made without cogent evidence”.

Cheung also condemned external threats of sanctions against judges as “attempts to interfere with judicial independence” that are no different to bribery and corruption, and have “absolutely no place in a civilized society governed by the rule of law”.

He said Hong Kong's Basic Law, general laws and national security laws, all guarantee the independence and impartiality of the courts, and the right to a fair trial.

“They require that court decisions be based on the evidence and legal arguments presented, and not on extraneous considerations or public pressure,” he added.

He stressed that any court decisions are subject to appeal or review in accordance with the applicable procedures, and expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal and the Court of Final Appeal will act with integrity and professionalism in handling any appeals or reviews.

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Also attending the ceremony was Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok, who said the Judiciary has been subject to unfounded accusations over judgments delivered in a number of recent highly charged national security cases.

Some accusations have been used as a pretext to advocate for unlawful sanctions against judges, and to put illegitimate pressure on foreign non-permanent judges in the Court of Final Appeal to resign, Lam said.

Any criticism of the courts in national security cases must be grounded in whether they have failed in their core duties, he said, including the aim to fairly and properly uphold human rights and the principles of the rule of law by independently interpreting and applying legal provisions to the evidence before reaching a decision.

He added that the rule of law under Hong Kong's common law system remains one of its most distinctive advantages under “one country, two systems”. While the various legal institutions each play different roles and may not always agree, and while the government does not prevail in every case, “our solidarity, courage and determination to maintain and enhance the rule of law in Hong Kong is unquestionable”, Lam added.

Hong Kong Bar Association Chairman Jose-Antonio Maurellet said that Hong Kong’s judges are “apolitical and will consider nothing except the law and the evidence”. He added that criticizing a ruling simply because one disagrees with the outcome is unfair and does nothing to promote the rule of law.

President of the Law Society of Hong Kong Roden Tong Man-lung said the legal profession serves as a “lodestar” in upholding public confidence, strengthening institutions, and enabling Hong Kong to function as a reliable bridge between the nation and the world.

Contact the writer at stacyhi@chinadailyhk.com