The New Legal Order in Hong Kong

As Hong Kong enters its third year under Chinese rule, the prognosis for the common law remains uncertain. Can the improbable doctrine of ‘one country, two systems’ be made to work? Will the political controversies that continue to bedevil the territory undermine the rule of law and the integrity of the legal order?

The 21 essays in this important new collection consider these, and many other, questions. The first part examines several problems that lie at the heart of the Basic Law’s promise of legal continuity. Hong Kong’s economic order and its legal buttresses are analysed in Part 2, while the essays in Part 3 trace the shifts in social values as reflected both in Chinese and Hong Kong law.

Though they embrace a wide area, the contributions to this volume suggest that, while many problems lie ahead, Hong Kong’s law and legal system seem adequately entrenched to endure well into the future.

Raymond Wacks is Professor of Law and Legal Theory at the University of Hong Kong. He is an international authority on the legal protection of privacy, and has also published widely in the field of legal theory. Professor Wacks has edited several books on Hong Kong law and human rights. His recent books include Privacy and Press Freedom (1995). The fifth edition of his text, Jurisprudence will appear in early 2000.

“By far the most comprehensive study of the post-1997 legal order I have come across, covering nearly all the subjects which the Basic Law touches upon, it contains much insightful analysis of the historical development and future issues surrounding each topic. A very valuable contribution to scholarship. Far more importantly, there is no collection that comes close to such an array of good analysis on so many topics.” —Anthony Neoh, SC, Visiting Professor, Peking University