China News Agency, Beijing, January 25th, title: Returning to the legal profession, the Hong Kong Bar Association has a lot to do

　　China News Agency reporter Rong Haisheng

　　The Hong Kong Bar Association recently held its annual general meeting, and Mr. Du Gankun, SC, was elected as the chairman, replacing Xia Boyi, who has been questioned by the public.

Du Gankun said that the Bar Association is a professional body and should not handle and discuss political matters.

All walks of life in Hong Kong generally expect the Bar Association to get out of the quagmire of "politicization", return to rationality and legal profession, and respect and maintain the constitutional order of Hong Kong.

　　The Hong Kong Bar Association has a history of more than 70 years and is one of the major legal bodies in Hong Kong.

However, in recent years, especially since Xia Boyi took office as the chairman of the association last year, he has clamored to revise the Hong Kong National Security Law, questioned the authority of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, blatantly supported "Hong Kong independence" elements, smeared the law enforcement, put pressure on the judiciary, and pushed the association Towards the "politicized" quagmire.

　　Xia Boyi concealed his political status as a member of the UK Liberal Democrats and an Oxford City Councillor, cooperated with external forces in the US and the West to interfere in Hong Kong affairs, and repeatedly pointed the finger at the central government.

The spokesperson of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and the spokesperson of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region have criticized separately, and solemnly pointed out that Xia Boyi's remarks completely deviated from professional ethics and professional conscience, and completely lost the spirit and principle of the rule of law. Arrogance and ignorance will also drag the Bar Association further down the abyss.

　　Observers have noticed that Xia Boyi's negative impact on the Hong Kong Bar Association has caused dissatisfaction within the association, the legal profession and even society.

Cai Weibang and many other vice-chairmen and executive committee members of the guild brazenly resigned from their seats.

　　The rule of law is the core value that the majority of Hong Kong citizens believe in. The Bar Association has played an important role in safeguarding the rule of law in Hong Kong in the past.

In the past year or so, the formulation and implementation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong and the improvement of the electoral system have brought about a major transition in the SAR from chaos to governance.

The general public hopes that the legal profession will focus on professional fields and contribute legal expertise to implement the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong" and ensure the steady and long-term implementation of "one country, two systems".

　　Hong Kong's legal and judicial fields are showing a new look: the judiciary has responded to the public's call for gradual reforms to pursue more professionalism, fairness and efficiency; the general election of the Hong Kong Law Society's Council and the Legislative Council's legal seat elections were won by people who love the country and Hong Kong .

　　此次香港大律师公会执委会换届选举，杜淦堃当选主席，反映了公会成员对回归专业、务实发展的期盼。杜淦堃等新一届领导层如能带领公会走出“政治化”泥沼，回归专业定位，则有助于重塑公会形象，在维护香港法治方面也大有可为。

　　同时，香港法律界熟悉普通法，在跨境贸易等领域施展空间大。香港大律师公会如能发挥自身专业优势，更好推动香港法律界与内地的交流合作，更好地把握粤港澳大湾区建设和“一带一路”倡议中的法律服务机遇，将有利于香港在融入国家发展大局中实现自身更好发展，真正推动社会进步。(完)