China Attacks Hong Kong Court Over Mask Ban, Stoking Fears of Legal Intervention
- Beijing authorities denounce judges’ ruling against mask ban
- A move to overrule decision would deal blow to local judiciary
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China denounced a Hong Kong court ruling that declared the government’s mask ban unconstitutional, raising the specter of a direct intervention in a judicial system whose independence is often seen as a key competitive advantage of the global financial center.
The decision handed down by the High Court on Monday “seriously weakened” the power of the Hong Kong chief executive, a spokesman for the legislative affairs commission of China’s Parliament said on Tuesday. The spokesman, Zang Tiewei, said the National People’s Congress was the only body with the authority to interpret Hong Kong law -- a claim disputed by some in the city, including the Hong Kong Bar Association.