National security law: Ex-Bar Association chairman leaves Hong Kong for UK after meeting with police

Former Hong Kong Bar Association chairman Paul Harris left the city on Tuesday night, hours after he was asked to explain acts that had allegedly violated the national security law in a meeting with police.

The Post has learned that the senior counsel flew to Turkey at about 11pm en route to the United Kingdom.

His departure came less than 12 hours after he attended an interview with officers from the national security department at police headquarters in Wan Chai. He left the headquarters at about 1.30pm on Tuesday.

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A police source said on Tuesday that Harris, a British citizen, had been called in to “assist with an investigation”, and was asked to explain acts that had allegedly violated the national security law. He was allowed to leave after giving a statement under caution to police.

Hong Kong Bar’s ex-chief meets national security police to ‘assist with investigation’

Police sources refused to go into details of the case.

The Post has learned that there was no requirement for Harris to inform police of his movements during the investigation.

Beijing imposed the national security law in June 2020 to ban acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces – offences that are punishable by life imprisonment.

Harris, who was head of the Bar Association from January 2021 until earlier this year, had wanted the government to amend the sweeping legislation, and had expressed concern that some of its provisions appeared at odds with rights guaranteed under the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution.

Soon after he took over at the association, Beijing’s two top agencies overseeing Hong Kong affairs accused him of being an anti-Communist lawyer who challenged the bottom line of the “one country, two systems” principle.

Beijing’s liaison office in the city later denounced him as an “anti-China politician”, warning his leadership would make a mockery of the Bar Association.

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