鬥爭的受害者 香港律師會會長辭職

Hong Kong’s summer of political discontent has claimed its highest-profile victim, after the city’s Law Society in effect forced the resignation of its pro-Beijing president.

香港持續整個夏天的政治紛爭產生了最知名的受害者：香港律師會(Hong Kong Law Society)在事實上迫使了其親北京的會長辭職。

Ambrose Lam San-keung resigned yesterday ahead of a Law Society council meeting called to discuss his tenure, following last week’s vote of no-confidence in the two-term president.

林新強(Ambrose Lam San-keung)昨日在香港律師會理事會開會討論他的任期之前宣佈辭職。上週香港律師會曾舉行特別會員大會，通過對這位會長的不信任動議。

“In order to maintain the solidarity of the Hong Kong Law Society, I will tender my resignation to the council with immediate effect,” said Mr Lam.

“爲了保持香港律師會的團結，我將向理事會遞交辭呈，即時生效，”林新強表示。

Mr Lam became a lightning rod for criticism among Hong Kong’s 8,000 Law Society members when he voiced support for Beijing’s “One Country, Two Systems” white paper, which stated that the freedoms enjoyed in the city were a privilege granted by China rather than an automatic right.

林新強曾表態支持中央政府的《“一國兩制”在香港特別行政區的實踐》白皮書。這使他成爲香港律師會一些會員的批評對象。白皮書稱，香港享有的各項自由是中央授予的特權，不存在自動的權利。香港律師會有8000名會員。

Mr Lam, a managing partner at law firm Lam, Lee & Lai, claimed to speak on behalf of the society when he openly supported Beijing’s white paper – a document that has heightened concerns over what some see as Beijing’s tightening grip on the city.

身爲林李黎律師事務所(Lam, Lee & Lai)管理合夥人的林新強在公開支持中央的白皮書時，自稱代表香港律師會。香港一些人士認爲北京方面正在收緊對該市的管控，白皮書加劇了他們的這種擔憂。

The white paper refers to judges as “administrators” and requires that they be “patriotic” towards China.

白皮書稱法官是“治港者”，並要求他們“愛國”。

Critics of the document suggest it could water down Hong Kong’s judicial independence and the autonomy enjoyed by the territory compared with mainland China.

這份文件的批評者認爲，它可能淡化香港的司法獨立，淡化這個特別行政區相比中國內地所享有的自治。

A solicitor who works in a big international law firm in Hong Kong and attended last week’s Law Society vote said: “If there is decreased confidence in the judicial independence and rule of law in Hong Kong, that would be to the detriment to Hong Kong’s business market. [Global companies] would lose confidence in Hong Kong as a business centre.”

在香港一家大型國際律師事務所工作、參加了上週律師會投票的一名律師表示：“如果人們對香港的司法獨立和法治信心下降，那將損害香港的商業市場。（全球企業）將失去對香港作爲商業中心的信心。”

Kevin Yam, a Hong Kong solicitor who initiated the no-confidence vote, said: “[Mr Lam] did the right and honourable thing to listen to and respect the voices of the majority of the Law Society. Judicial independence, rule of law: they are fundamental for Hong Kong as an international city.”

發起不信任動議的香港律師任建峯(Kevin Yam)表示：“（林新強）做了正確和光榮的事情，聽取和尊重律師會多數會員的聲音。司法獨立、法治：它們是香港作爲一個國際城市的根本要素。”

Mr Lam’s support for the white paper prompted 1,800 black-clad legal professionals to hold a silent march through the city in late-June, and sparked terse responses from senior legal experts.

林新強表態支持白皮書的舉動，促使1800名法律界人士在6月下旬身穿黑衣靜默遊行，並招致資深法律專家的簡短迴應。

“If judges have to be standing with the government and form part of the government [as the white paper suggests], this would be totally contrary to the rule of law,” Audrey Eu Yuet-mee, a former president of the Bar Association, told local media.

“如果法官必須（像白皮書所稱的那樣），與政府站在一起，構成政府的一部分，那將是完全違反法治的”，曾任香港大律師公會(Hong Kong Bar Association)主席的餘若薇(Audrey Eu Yuet-mee)在接受當地媒體採訪時表示。