Revisions to Hong Kong’s national security law implementation rules took effect on Monday, experts say, granting police powers common in other jurisdictions and speeding up investigations. The changes clarify procedures for searches under existing powers amid rising geopolitical risks and online threats potentially involving external forces. Senior Counsel Ronny Tong Ka-wah stressed that they introduce new procedures, not new powers or principles.
Changes to the implementation rules of Hong Kong’s national security law took effect on Monday, experts have said, improving operational efficiency amid heightened geopolitical risks. A legal expert and a former security minister noted that the amendments clearly lay out investigation procedures for searches under existing national security law powers, while an academic argued the move addresses online threats that could involve external forces. “There are new procedures, but there are no new powers or principles,” said Senior Counsel Ronny Tong Ka-wah, who sits on the key decision-making Executive Council. The revisions empower police to require a person under investigation to provide passwords or decryption methods for electronic equipment, with non-compliance punishable by a maximum of one year’s imprisonment and a HK$100,000 (US$12,760) fine. Customs officers were also empowered to seize articles deemed seditious. Authorities said they would set up applicable procedures and a strict timetable for processing claims of legal professional privilege involving materials seized by police for investigation. Experts view these as procedural enhancements rather than expansions of authority.