Power of Hong Kong’s new national security regulation must be exercised prudently

The recent enactment of the Safeguarding National Security (Procedural Matters) Regulation has generated significant interest and commentary on Hong Kong’s legal landscape.

It is recognised that maintaining national security is of paramount importance and that there is a constitutional responsibility on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to do so.

Under the Basic Law, that responsibility falls to a large extent on the city’s chief executive. It is also recognised in many common law...