Opinion

Condemning protest violence in Hong Kong won’t solve the problem – not when police are part of the problem

No sensible person could condone the violence perpetrated by protesters. However, condemning the violence will not help when the police force, executing the repressive policy of a recalcitrant government, is not held to account

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A line of police officers ride an escalator at the Legislative Council on October 16, behind a protester holding an umbrella. Photo: Reuters

Lawrence Lok is a criminal barrister called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1978, and called to the Hong Kong Bar in 1979.

Published: 11:37am, 17 Oct 2019Updated: 12:55pm, 17 Oct 2019

Having practised criminal law in Hong Kong for 40 years and defended individuals accused of a catalogue of crimes, ranging from massive fraud to the most heinous crimes of violence, I could lavishly chronicle the trials and tribulations of being a criminal barrister.

I can say that the challenges at the criminal Bar are often rewarded with the sense of triumph in seeing justice achieved when, more often than not, a conviction is returned on good evidence or the liberty of an accused is secured because the evidence is not up to the mark. In either event, there is adherence to a standard, a procedure, which people can trust and do trust. This is an important facet of our treasured rule of law.

Experience at the criminal Bar carries with it the burden of a delicate sensitivity to any ruffling of law and order. The current conflicts in our society are therefore a particular cause of pain, conflicts in which many young people, including juveniles still in secondary school, find themselves on the wrong side of the law, having committed acts of road obstruction, serious vandalism, and sometimes even physical assault.