Here is their release in full
A new digital access to justice initiative to advance individual rights and civil liberties in the city
April 5, 2021
“As an international city with a strong rule of law tradition, it is our role to pursue and contribute to the Goal 161 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development [of the United Nations].”
– Hong Kong Department of Justice
The Leitner Center for International Law and Justice is pleased to announce a new platform for access to justice in Hong Kong, Know Your Rights HK (“KYR HK”). A new project of the Center’s work on rights and justice globally, KYR HK is launched at a critical time for supporting international rule of law principles in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong has long been praised by the international legal community for its rule of law, judicial independence, and wealth of international legal talent. The importance of the rule of law in Hong Kong underscores the value of a well-informed public that trusts the system. The KYR HK portal helps to enable this goal, allowing individuals to make the most of their rights (See: KYR HK–A One-Stop Shop for Legal Rights Knowledge, Appendix 1) at a time when crime statistics and related arrest numbers are at a record high in Hong Kong (See: Hong Kong’s Legal Challenge in Numbers, Appendix 2). All eyes of the international legal, business, and civil society communities are on maintaining the independence of Hong Kong’s legal system.
1 UNSDG – Goal 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels, and ensure equal access to justice for all.
The Leitner Center announced plans for the new platform on April 5, the International Day of Conscience, which calls for the promotion of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction. Today, KYR HK joins Hong Kong’s resilient civil society in promoting civil rights and liberties. The platform serves to equip the public with knowledge and tools to secure due process and improve access to justice (Appendix 3).
The platform includes toolkits and explainers through every step of the justice system. Information is presented in plain language in Chinese and English on the website, which will be launched this week. Further tools are made available through our social media channels. These tools are especially important in the context of rising crime statistics and a strain on the legal process.
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Justice Is A Global Issue
@kyr_hongkong @knowyourrightshk @kyr_hk
In its ten-year “Vision 2030 for Rule of Law”, the Hong Kong Department of Justice (“DoJ”) prioritized the principles of UN Sustainable Development Goal 16, which calls for promotion of the rule of law internationally. For this vision to be true:
? Justice has to be real and accessible for all in Hong Kong, and
? Justice cannot thrive in a vacuum: a healthy and robust justice system has to be open and benchmarked against international standards.
KYR HK supports this vision of the rule of law in Hong Kong on both levels by empowering the individual, and by using international human rights and rule of law standards as changes in Hong Kong’s legal landscape continue to develop.
“We know that the people of Hong Kong share these universal values with the rest of the world, and the international community will continue to monitor developments and support efforts to ensure these rights.”
– Martin Flaherty, Leitner Center Co-Director and Founder
The fundamental rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people are enshrined in the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance, which incorporates the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the Hong Kong Basic Law also protects human rights and individual freedoms through its constitutional framework. KYR HK will provide tools for individuals to understand and navigate their due process rights and create a platform for assessing their ability to do so against the international and domestic legal frameworks that create them (See: Human Rights Protection Frameworks in HK, Appendix 4).
Launching KYR HK is a part of the Leitner Center’s work on rule of law advocacy, capacity building, and education globally (See: About the International Day of Conscience, Appendix 5). “Hong Kong is not unique in the challenges it faces protecting human rights and civil liberties in the face of other government concerns,” said Professor Martin Flaherty, Leitner Center Co-Director and Founder.
Protesters in Myanmar continue to be met with harsh reprisals against their calls for freedom, and protesters in the UK are demanding changes to a new police bill. In every context, the focus must be on the protection of internationally and domestically protected human rights to expression, assembly, and due process of law. “We know that the people of Hong Kong share these universal values with the rest of the world, and the international community will continue to monitor developments and support efforts to ensure these rights,” Flaherty said.
Know Your Rights. Exercise Your Rights.
Hong Kong has long enjoyed a strong rule of law tradition and extensive civil liberties, anchored in international standards. The law benefits the individual and respects human dignity.
Built on shared values, KYR HK is here to demystify the notion that human rights are abstract or intangible. The Leitner Center firmly believes that institutions must be held accountable for the promises of human rights protection.
Full release
Leitner-KYR Press Release 20210405 copy
