Article 23 finds new life online

The Security Bureau said it is updating the website for article 23 legislation after the old website, created 20 years ago, was found to be inoperational recently.

In response to a media inquiry, it said yesterday it had closed the website temporarily in preparation for updates that will come with the anti-subversion legislation in line with article 23 of the Basic Law.

Wayback Machine archives and user screenshots show detailed information about the legislation of article 23, including press releases, Legislative Council documents and pamphlets.

Speaking yesterday, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok said the legislation of article 23 is not an undertaking that can be carried out immediately as authorities need to conduct a thorough and careful study of the law.

"Since authorities are still carrying out a careful review, there isn't a concrete timeline for the legislation process yet," Lam said.

"We need to make sure that the legislation can effectively deal with issues pertaining to national security, while also ensuring that people's freedoms are protected."

Lam said that five of the seven article 23 offenses have not yet been "perfected," while the other two overlap with the terms of the security law.

"But I can't say for certain whether article 23 legislation will be merged with the national security law," he said.

Article 23 covers seven offenses - treason, secession, sedition and subversion against the central people's government, theft of state secrets, a ban on foreign political organizations conducting political activities in the city and a ban on local political bodies establishing ties with foreign counterparts.

Lam also said no prosecutors have resigned following the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China's publication of a report that called on Washington to sanction Hong Kong prosecutors, calling it "baseless intimidation."

"As long as the Department of Justice remains united, it won't be a problem for future hires," he said.

Lam added that the Department of Justice will come up with a short-term timeline that will replace its use of key performance indicators.

"The new administration is results-oriented and hopes to achieve concrete goals and see real results," he said.

Deputy Secretary for Justice Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan said that he has faith that the government has enough time to complete the legislation process.