The judicial process in Jimmy Lai's national security trial was fair and has safeguarded his legal rights, said Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) legislative councilor Priscilla Leung Mei-Fun on Monday.
Leung's remarks followed the conviction of Jimmy Lai, an instigator of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, who was found guilty on Monday of two charges of conspiring to collude with external forces and one charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials.
In an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Leung characterized the judgment as fair and lenient, stressing that the proceedings adhered to Hong Kong's common law traditions and procedural safeguards. He was sentenced Lai to 20 years in prison, after considering his "serious and grave criminal conduct.
"I think this is a very fair, impartial as well as a lenient judgment in fact. The defendant and the newspaper have for a long, long time deliberately and purposefully stirred and provoked hatred against China and hatred against different groups of people in Hong Kong, against the Hong Kong government, which has led a very, very harmful result. Hong Kong is very famous for due process and judicial justice. From the way the lengthy process of our 150 days for the trial with different witnesses and the arguments submitted by different lawyers; every single bit is in compliance with our due process, we call procedural justice, highly regarded in common law. And I think the defendants have enjoyed them full," said Leung, who is also a professor at the School of Law at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK).
Leung emphasized that the court's approach was marked by meticulous care and restraint. She noted that the judges did not merely focus on the outcome of the case, but demonstrated sustained attention to procedural safeguards and foundational legal principles throughout the judgment.
"You can see how careful the judgments have reflected their thoughtful consideration in terms of procedure, in terms of fundamental principles of law. Even the sentencing of Jimmy Lai, they actually took into consideration of his health and his age. The reason they rejected the mitigation factor that the court had discussed in length, is because of the grave consequences that Jimmy Lai and the newspaper Apple Daily, actually have for a long period of time, deliberately gone beyond freedom of expression or gone beyond the freedom of newspapers that they should have rational, sensible monitoring of what the government is doing. They haven't done that, they haven't played this role," said Leung.
The trial, presided over by three judges appointed under the national security law, began on Dec. 18, 2023. The prosecution closed its case on June 11, 2024, and on July 25 the court ruled all charges substantiated. Lai testified from Nov. 20, 2024, until March 2025, with closing arguments finalized on Aug. 28.
Jimmy Lai's conviction reflects judicial safeguards, upholds due process: HK lawmaker
