Hong Kong Conference on Human Rights after 1997
On June
20-22, 1991, the Faculty of Law of the
University of Hong Kong convened a high level conference in
Hong Kong concerned with the prospects for human rights, an
independent judiciary and the rule of law in Hong Kong after
30 June 1997. On that day control over the Territory of Hong
Kong will pass from the United Kingdom to the People's
Republic of China (PRC) pursuant to an agreement incorporated
in a Joint Declaration of the two Governments signed in
See United Kingdom Treaty Series No 26, Cmd 9543.
This Declaration contains an undertaking that the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region (as it will be called) will be
vested with "executive, legislative and independent judicial
power, including that of final adjudication". The PRC agreed
for fifty years to maintain the "current social and economic
systems in Hong Kong" so that they would remain unchanged.
1984.
In April 1990 the Seventh National People's Congress of
the PRC adopted a Basic Law for Hong Kong. This also
contained a commitment to "an independent judicial power" in
Hong Kong after 1997 including
1997 including "final adjudication". It
specifically guaranteed a number of basic rights and freedoms
stating that "the previous capitalist system and way of life
shall remain unchanged for fifty years". Article 39 of the
Basic Law promised that the provisions of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
"shall
remain in force and shall be implemented through the laws of
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