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Legal System

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Submitted By sophia0926
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The legal system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is based on the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. The constitutional framework for the legal system is provided by the Basic Law sanctioned by the National People’s Congress of the PRC. Under the principle of ‘one country, two systems’, the HKSAR legal system, which is different from that of Mainland China, is based on the common law, supplemented by local legislation. All legislation in force in the HKSAR is accessible on the internet at www.legislation.gov.hk.

Law in the HKSAR: The laws in force in the HKSAR include: (1) the Basic Law;
(2) national laws listed in Annex III to the Basic Law;
(3) the laws, including the common law and the rules of equity, in force before July 1, 1997, apart from a small number of statutory provisions which were declared by the Standing Committee of the National People’s
Congress to contravene the Basic Law; and
(4) laws enacted by the legislature of the HKSAR.

National laws relating to defence, foreign affairs and other matters outside the limits of the autonomy of the HKSAR may be listed in Annex III to the Basic Law for application in the HKSAR by way of promulgation or legislation by the HKSAR. Currently, 12 national laws are included in Annex III to the Basic Law.

The Judiciary: It is fundamental to Hong Kong’s legal system that members of the judiciary are independent of the executive and legislative branches of government.
The courts of justice in Hong Kong comprise the Court of Final Appeal, the High Court (which includes the Court of Appeal and the Court of First Instance), the District Court (which includes the Family Court), the Lands Tribunal, the Magistrates’ Courts (which include the Juvenile Court), the Coroner’s Court, the Labour Tribunal, the Small Claims Tribunal and the Obscene

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