- HK Constitutional Law
What's in the Hong Kong Constitutional Law Notes & Model Exam Answers (Past Paper Answers)?
Our Hong Kong Constitutional Law Notes & Model Exam Answers (Past Paper Answers) will provide you with a clear and complete synthesis of the most important points you need for your Hong Kong Constitutional Law PCLL Conversion exam. The table of contents of our Hong Kong Constitutional Law Notes & Model Exam Answers (Past Paper Answers) is shown below.Revised edition: Updated for January exam, Article 23 and National Security Law
Hong Kong Land Law | Hong Kong Civil Procedure | Hong Kong Criminal Procedure | Hong Kong Evidence Law | Hong Kong Business Associations
Table of Contents for Hong Kong Constitutional Law Notes
A. How to use Conversion Notes
2. ACQUISITION OF BRITISH SOVEREIGNTY
A. Basis of British Jurisdiction in HK, the Assumption and Exercise of British Authority
C. The Colonial Constitution and the System of Government
D. Human rights in the colonial constitution
E. Political Reform in the 50s
F. Development of the Administrative System
G. Development of Representative government
B. Sovereignty and Self-Determination
i. China’s position on self-determination
ii. Self determination and the United Nations
C. Sino-British Negotiation and the JD 1984
D. Drafting of the HK Basic Law (BL)
F. Scope of Application of the Chinese Constitution
G. Structure of the HK Basic Law
I. Patten’s Political Reforms in the 90s – LegCo
J. Breakdown of the Through Train model
K. Provisional Legislative Council and its Legality
4. FRAMEWORK OF THE HONG KONG BASIC LAW
B. Nature and Scope of Autonomy (as per the Declaration)
C. Nature and Scope of Autonomy (as per the Basic Law)
D. The Distinct Nature of the Basic Law
E. Objectives of Basic Law - General Principles
F. Duration of HKSAR – 50 years?
G. Relationship between Central Government and the HKSAR
iii. Other powers of the HKSAR and NPC
iv. Some Contentious Issues in the balance of power
v. Status of Residual Power: which entity owns power not expressly dealt with?
5. THE POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM
A. The Political Structure - Introduction
ii. British Ruling in the Past
B. Basic Principles – The Franchise
i. General Rights in Franchise
i. Election to the National People’s Congress (NPC)
ii. Election/appointment of the Chief Executive
D. Centralized and Consultative Government
E. Separation of Powers or Executive-led Government?
ii. Check and Balances in Basic Law
G. Election of the Legislative Council – Composition - Functional Constituencies
i. President of the Legislative Council
iii. Changing the method for electing LegCo – no changes for 2008 LegCo elections
H. Break down of ‘through train model’ and the formation of the Provisional LegCo
I. Legislative Council – Powers and Functions
J. Law making process (separation of powers – legislature vs executive)
i. Legislature vs Executive (checks and balances)
K. Supervision of Executive and Parliamentary Enquiry
L. Public Finance (method for legislature to ‘check’ executive action)
M. Executive Government of the HKSAR and the Chief Executive in Council
O. Changes to method for selecting the Chief Executive
P. Impeachment of the Chief Executive
Q. Objective of the Political System
R. Contradictions in the Political System
ii. Argument that concerns about the executive government’s weakness is exaggerated
iii. “Slowing Down” VS “Political development”
iv. “Business Community” VS “CA”
S. Neutrality of the Civil Service and the Ministerial System
T. Language of the Legal System
U. Relationship with Chinese Legal System
6. CONSTITUTIONAL JURISDICTION OF THE COURTS OF THE HKSAR
A. Parliamentary sovereignty and its application to the HKSAR – judicial review
B. Acts of State and Facts of State
iii. Scope of ‘acts of state’ under the Basic Law..
C. Judicial Review of HKSAR Legislation
i. Argument that HK courts have NO power to review HKSAR legislation
ii. Argument that HK courts have power to review HKSAR legislation
iii. Judicial Review: Power to review laws and policies for conformity with Basic Law (Art.80)
1) What are the limitations on Court’s power to judge?.
7. INTERPRETATION AND AMENDMENT OF THE BASIC LAW
A. Scheme of Amendments to the Basic Law
B. The importance of Interpretation and Mode of interpretation
i. Situation 1: Dealing with inconsistency of Basic Law with previous law (Art. 158)
ii. Situation 2: Returning of Law passed by HKSAR Legislature (Art.17)
iii. Situation 3: Application of national Law in HKSAR
iv. Situation 4: Amendment of Basic Law
v. Situation 5: In the course of litigation
C. Scheme for interpretation under Art 158
i. NPCSC’s Powers of interpretation under the Basic Law
D. Seeking interpretation from NPC – Judicial referral, classification test, and necessity test
i. Ng Ka Ling v Director of Immigration [1999] 1 HKC 291
ii. The current position - Vallejos & Anor v Commissioner of Registration & Anor- [2013] 4 HKC 239
E. Problems arising under Art 158
i. Difficulty 1: Availability of two traditions for interpretation
ii. Difficulty 2: Applicability of PRC constitution in HK and its relationship with Basic Law
iii. Difficulty 3: Relationship between the Basic Law and Other National Laws
iv. Difficulty 4: Influence of Foreign Treaties
F. Legislative interpretation vs Judicial interpretation
G. Judgment previously rendered shall not be affected
H. Role of the Basic Law Committee
I. Principles of and Approach to interpretation
A. General Framework for the Protection of Rights and Freedoms
i. International Sources of Rights (implemented through Art.39)
ii. The Legal Basis for Application of These Treaties (Art.39)
iii. Domestic Sources of Rights
D. Is the Bill Of Rights Ordinance compatible with the Basic Law?
F. Economic rights and property rights
G. Social and cultural rights and policies
H. Lawful traditional rights & interests of the NT Indigenous Inhabitants
I. Limitations or restrictions on rights and freedoms
i. Rights in Basic Law which are listed in ICCPR.
ii. Rights in Basic Law only and are not listed in ICCPR (Gurung Kesh Bahadur v Immigration 2001)
J. State of Emergency under Art 18(4) – NPC can effectively restrict all rights?
i. Relationship between Art.23 and Art.39
9. INTERNATIONAL ASPECTS OF THE HKSAR
A. Chinese view of International Law
B. External Affairs power of the HKSAR - Foreign affairs vs external affairs
i. Scope of authority under Art 151 unclear, ‘appropriate fields’ not defined – look at Basic Law
ii. External affairs- different aspects of autonomy of HK
C. Role and problems of HKSAR in international legal regime
i. Problem 1: Scope of external affairs powers- Difficult to determine:
ii. Problem 2: lack of measures for resolving conflicts of power
iii. Problem 3: Legal effect of treaties
iv. Problem 4: HK’s status in PRC treaties
v. Problem 5: Membership in international organizations
D. Succession of rights and obligations in international treaties applicable to HK before 1997.
10. CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM OF THE PRC
A. Theory of socialist constitution
i. Comparison of Liberal and Socialist Theories
B. Brief history of Chinese constitutional system
i. The Economic System of the PRC
ii. The Political System of the PRC
D. Central Authorities of the PRC (NPC, NPCSC, State Council, Central Military Commission)
iii. State Council (The Government of the PRC)
iv. Central Military Commission (direct armed forces)
E. Role and Organisation of the Communist Party
G. Rights and Obligations of the Citizen
H. Sources of Law (Legislative Interpretation, Judicial Interpretation and Executive Interpretation)
H. The judiciary, the Public Security Bureau & the Procuratorate
Revised edition: Updated for January exam, Article 23 and National Security Law
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