8th December 2022 – (Hong Kong) Ex-media mogul Jimmy Lai celebrated his 75th birthday in prison today.
Earlier, the High Court approved Lai’s appointment of British barrister Timothy Wynn Owen KC (also known as Tim Owen) to come to Hong Kong to defend him. Tim Owen has arrived in Hong Kong a few days ago. The Department of Justice’s appeal to the Court of Final Court to stop him from representing Lai was also rejected. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government has applied for interpretation of the National Security Law to the Standing Committee.
The defence revealed that the Immigration Department refused Tim Owen to extend his work visa. The court finally adjourned the case to 13th December and the time frame by the Standing Committee must be provided by the prosecution one day before.
The National People’s Congress Standing Committee member Tam Yiu-chung believes that it is difficult to provide exceptions for overseas lawyers to participate in local national security cases. If there is no local lawyer to take over the case in the end, Lai can be sent to the Mainland for trial.