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Latest news, analysis and opinion on the law and legal issues, including Hong Kong extradition law. Follow the latest on trials, court cases and justice.
Filipino policemen (from left) Jeremiah Pereda, Arnel Oares and Jerwin Cruz attend a Senate inquiry in Pasay City on August 24, 2017. Photo: EPA
The Philippines

Philippine court upholds murder verdict in Duterte’s drug war case

While the ruling has been hailed as a win for human rights, it may not have much impact on Duterte’s ICC case, legal analysts say.

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Hong Kong courts

Legal Tales | Free for all or fees for all? Hong Kong’s legal aid levels the scales

Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hong Kong’s new legislators must strengthen child protection laws

Malaysia

Najib’s children lament Malaysian court ruling – ‘we thought he was coming home’

The ex-prime minister has lost his case to have his imprisonment commuted to house arrest based on a supposed royal decree.

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A supporter of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak wears a t-shirt displaying Razak’s face at the Federal Court in Putrajaya, Malaysia, in August. Photo: EPA
South Korea

Yoon’s ex-aides express ‘disbelief’ over South Korean martial law plan

The two aides’ testimonies give a rare insight into the thinking of the former president, who is charged with leading the ‘insurrection’.

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United States

‘Untrue’: US releases thousands of new Epstein-linked documents

The Justice Department, which has posted around 30,000 more pages, said some ⁠contained ‘untrue and sensationalist’ claims against President Trump.

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Malaysia

Malaysian rapper Namewee acquitted of drug use charge after negative test

The 42-year-old still faces a drug possession charge and remains under investigation following the death of a Taiwanese influencer.

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Malaysian rapper Namewee has been under investigation for drug-related charges and over the death of Taiwanese influencer Iris Hsieh in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Hong Kong lawyers give free aid to Tai Po residents at loss over next legal steps

As residents of Wang Fuk Court rebuild their lives, hundreds of lawyers have stepped in to help them understand their legal options.

Malaysia

‘Was he the Hulk?’: Malaysian officer goes viral after ripping off car door

The officer became an unlikely internet sensation when a dashcam video showed him ripping apart a suspect’s car door ‘like a banana leaf’.

South Korea

South Korea’s top court seeks to restore trust after martial law controversy

The changes target high-stakes national security cases amid mounting criticism over delays and alleged bias.

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South Korea’s Constitutional Court justices attend a hearing in Seoul on Thursday to deliver a verdict on the impeachment of former police chief Cho Ji-ho over his role in former president Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed martial law bid. Photo: EPA
South Korea martial law 2024

South Korea’s police chief removed for supporting martial law plot

Cho Ji-ho was removed for sending officers to disrupt parliament and undermine the election commission’s independence, the Constitutional Court ruled.

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Interior Minister Lee Sang-min (right), Police Commissioner Cho Ji-ho (centre), and Seoul Police Chief Kim Bong-sik at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea in December 2024. Photo: AP
Hong Kong courts

Legal Tales | Despite lapses behind Tai Po fire, Hong Kong’s unity shows in a time of crisis

Catastrophic fires in other places offer lessons in the administration of justice, but Hongkongers’ care and resilience will carry them through.

Australia

Why Southeast Asia’s move to protect children online may fuel state surveillance

Measures to rein in tech companies risk opening the door to tighter state oversight of online platforms, analysts say.

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Accidents and disasters in China

How will Jimmy Lai’s conviction affect China-UK ties, Starmer’s planned visit?

Outcome of ex-media tycoon’s Hong Kong trial poses stern test for Labour government’s balancing act with Beijing, observers say.

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to visit Beijing and Shanghai in late January. Photo: EPA
Jimmy Lai trial

Open court, detailed ruling in Lai trial ‘prove Hong Kong rule of law strong’

Lawyers urge members of public to study the court’s judgment before drawing conclusions after Western countries hit out at Lai verdict.

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Jimmy Lai’s national security trial ran for 156 days. Photo: Sam Tsang
Jimmy Lai trial

Hong Kong court’s verdict in Jimmy Lai trial sheds light on law, experts say

Judges stress that Lai’s actions before enactment of national security law were not the subject of any charges, serving only as background.

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Jimmy Lai trial

Jimmy Lai’s conviction in Hong Kong becomes flashpoint between China, West

Western nations unlikely to hit city with more sanctions as they need Beijing’s cooperation to offset unfair US trade practices, experts say.

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Jimmy Lai trial

Jimmy Lai’s ‘rabid hatred’ of party led him down ‘thorny path’: Hong Kong court

Judges find former media boss guilty of national security offences, dismissing his ‘inconsistent, contradictory and unreliable’ testimony.

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Former Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai was found guilty of three counts of national security offences. Photo: K. Y. Cheng
Hong Kong courts

Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai used personal ties to seek foreign sanctions: court ruling

Former media boss tapped into vast political network for intervention against Beijing and Hong Kong, according to 857-page judgment.

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Hong Kong courts

Hong Kong barrister granted temporary anonymity in molestation case

Court approves 32-year-old defendant’s request to hide his name to protect alleged victim’s identity.

Japan

Security or freedom? Japan’s proposed anti-spy laws raise human rights concerns

Prime Minister Takaichi’s plans to tighten spying and secrecy rules could be used to stifle free speech and media freedom, analysts say.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to the media in Tokyo on Monday. Photo: Kyodo/Reuters
Singapore

Singapore’s Pritam Singh apologises, Mediacorp pulls show over contempt claims

The episode of ‘The Assembly’ was aired while the court was deciding on the opposition leader’s appeal against a false testimony conviction.

Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh leaves the Supreme Court after his appeal was dismissed in Singapore on December 4. Photo: Reuters
The Philippines

Brutal dog killing in Philippines sparks outrage, calls for tougher protections

Viral footage of Axle the dog’s shocking death has galvanised the country’s animal activists to demand harsh legal repercussions.

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Indonesia

Airbnb ban in Bali? Indonesia says no, but crackdown on illegal stays looms

Bali’s governor wants to ban the online platform but the island’s problems with illegal rentals go beyond Airbnb, critics say.

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The Philippines

Philippines denies ex-mayor Alice Guo has received special treatment in prison

Officials refuted reports that Guo, who recently began serving a life sentence, possessed a phone and had received unauthorised visitors.

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Alice Guo, the former mayor of Bamban in Tarlac province accused of human trafficking and ties to Chinese organised crime, is escorted to a press conference in Manila on September 6, 2024. A Philippine court later sentenced her and seven others to life in prison on human-trafficking charges. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong

Legal Tales | Balancing rights and responsibilities: child custody in Hong Kong demystified

The true meaning of legal concepts such as custody and access is much misunderstood among laypeople in Hong Kong.

Kramer vs Kramer, starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep, is a poignant 1979 tale about a custody battle over the couple’s son, played by Justin Henry. Photo: Columbia Pictures/Getty Images
Australia

Opinion | Australia’s social media ban offers a path between excess and inaction

For policymakers elsewhere, Canberra’s approach to children’s social media use isn’t a model to copy but one to learn from.

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Malaysia

Malaysia’s ‘moral police’ slammed over dress code dispute

The skirt-wearing women were barred from entering a police station to report a car accident, which lawyers say is a ‘violation’ of constitutional rights.

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