Amy Barrow, ed. “Beyond the Courtroom: Lawyer Activism and Resistance in Hong Kong.” In Activism and Authoritarian Governance in Asia. Ed. Sara Fuller, pp. 86-99. London, U.K.: Routledge, 2022.
This chapter explores the critical role attorneys play as defenders of the rule of law in backsliding democracies, using Hong Kong as a case study. It highlights how, in response to Beijing’s growing influence over Hong Kong’s legal and political systems since the 1997 handover, members of the legal profession—including solicitors, barristers, and legal academics—have increasingly engaged in activism beyond traditional courtroom advocacy. While Hong Kong’s rights-based legal framework initially supported public interest litigation, recent political interventions, such as the imposition of the National Security Law, have restricted legal freedoms. In this shifting landscape, lawyers have turned to symbolic acts of resistance, including silent marches, to express dissent and uphold judicial independence. Through personal reflections on the 2016 silent march, the chapter sheds light on the evolving strategies of legal resistance and the ethical challenges faced by lawyers working under tightening authoritarian conditions.