Legal Resistance Under Authoritarianism: The Struggle for the Rule of Law in Hong Kong (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9789048558438)

This book examines the decline of Hong Kong's rule of law under China's expanding authoritarian influence. While the imposition of the National Security Law in 2020 is seen as a turning point, this book argues that threats to Hong Kong's rule of law began with the 1997 sovereignty transfer. Drawing on fieldwork and insights from civil society, Yan-ho Lai explores the tensions between lawyers, political authorities, and the state's broader authoritarian project between the 2014 Umbrella Movement and the 2019 Anti-extradition Bill Movement. Highlighting resistance strategies employed by a critical minority of legal professionals, Lai reveals how their efforts played a crucial role in countering state encroachment. A compelling study of legal resistance, legal transplantation, and the rule of law, this book sheds light on China's influence beyond its jurisdiction, and Hong Kong's uniqueness in global anti-authoritarian struggles.

Author: Yan-Ho Lai
ISBN-10: 9048558433
ISBN-13: 9789048558438
Publisher: Amsterdam University Press
Language: English
Published: 07/02/2025
Pages: 354
Format: Hardcover