Tours of Hong Kong courtrooms no cause for objection
- Hong Kong’s open courts have become tourist attractions for visitors from the mainland seeking to understand the common law legal system
Legal dramas and crime thrillers, whether portrayed in novels, television programmes or films, are a popular source of entertainment all around the world. So it is not surprising real-life courtrooms attract interested members of the public.
Hong Kong’s are no exception. The city’s courts are generally open and have become tourist attractions for visitors from the mainland.
Some are fans of local television dramas, describing their visits on mainland social media as “magical”. Others might be curious about the way in which Hong Kong’s common law legal system works.
The judges and barristers in their traditional wigs and gowns, the role played by juries and the cut-and-thrust of legal argument are all hallmarks of the city’s system.
Observing court proceedings is a good way to gain a practical understanding of Hong Kong’s rule of law and the way in which the “one country, two systems” arrangements operate. Some of the buildings, notably the colonial-style Court of Final Appeal built in 1912, are sights worth seeing.
The presence of tourists as well as local visitors to court is, therefore, welcome and should be encouraged. But care must be taken to ensure it does not disrupt proceedings.
