A lawyer representing Hong Kong activist and national security suspect Andy Li appeared in court for the first time on Wednesday. But Li’s family said they did not know who the lawyer was.
Barrister Lawrence Law showed up in the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday morning, when Li’s case was mentioned in front of Chief Magistrate Victor So. It was the first time for the activist to have a legal representative in court.
The 30-year-old stands accused under the Beijing-enacted security law of colluding with foreign powers. He is also charged with conspiracy to assist offenders and possession of ammunition without a licence.
Here at PS.com this is the only Barrister named Lawrence Law that we can find.
We wonder
A) Who instructed him ?
B) As he appears to work in commercial litigation and bizarrely….. “Acted for defendants to oppose application for an injunction concerning the use of baskets in relation to the poultry industry.”
We aren’t quite sure then…. what his skill base is, for handling this case?
We will be asking the Mr Law & The HKBA if they can elucidate…
Li and seven other Hongkongers were handed over to Hong Kong police last week, after they served seven months behind bars in the mainland for illegal border crossing. They were among a group of 12 captured by the Chinese coastguard last August while trying to flee to Taiwan on a speedboat. Many of those on board were facing trial over offences linked to the 2019 anti-extradition bill protests.
Li was absent from Wednesday’s hearing as he is under a two-week compulsory coronavirus quarantine following his arrival from Shenzhen. The case was adjourned to April 7 and the activist will complete his isolation on Sunday night.
The court said he is held in custody by the Correctional Services Department (CSD) in the meantime. It remains unclear which CSD institution Li is being detained at, and his family have claimed they were unable to confirm his whereabouts.
