Interpreting Hong Kong’s Basic Law: The Struggle for Coherence

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-ix

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2. Introduction Interpreting Hong Kong’s Basic Law

   1. Introduction

      • Hualing Fu, Lison Harris, Simon N. M. Young

      Pages 1-11

3. Interpreting Hong Kong’s Basic Law

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 13-13

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   2. Legislative History, Original Intent, and the Interpretation of the Basic Law

      • Simon N. M. Young

      Pages 15-32

   3. Embracing Universal Standards?

      • Carole J. Petersen

      Pages 33-53

   4. Constitutionalism in the Shadow of the Common Law

      • Michael W. Dowdle

      Pages 55-76

   5. Interpreting Constitutionalism and Democratization in Hong Kong

      • Michael C. Davis

      Pages 77-95

   6. Forcing the Dance

      • Robert J. Morris

      Pages 97-111

4. Crossing the Border

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 113-113

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   2. The Political Economy of Interpretation

      • Yash Ghai

      Pages 115-142

   3. One Term, Two Interpretations

      • Lin Feng, P. Y. Lo

      Pages 143-155

   4. Rethinking Judicial Reference

      • P. Y. Lo

      Pages 157-181

   5. Formalism and Commitment in Hong Kong’s Constitutional Development

      • Yu Xingzhong

      Pages 183-197

5. Legislative Interpretation and the PRC Constitution

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 199-199

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   2. Of Iron or Rubber?

      • Hualing Fu, D. W. Choy

      Pages 201-227

   3. Legislative Interpretation by China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee

      • Sophia Woodman

      Pages 229-241

   4. China’s Constitutionalism

      • Lison Harris

      Pages 243-257

6. Back Matter

   Pages 259-265

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On July 1, 2007, Hong Kong celebrated its tenth anniversary as a special administrative region of China. It also marked the first decade of its unique constitutional order in which Hong Kong courts continue to apply and develop the common law but the power of final interpretation of the constitution lies with the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. This book is a collection of chapters by leading constitutional law experts in Hong Kong who examine the interpretive issues and conflicts which have arisen since 1997. Intervention by China in constitutional interpretation has been restrained but each intervention has had significant political and jurisprudential impact. The authors give varied assessments of the struggle for interpretive coherence in the coming decade.

• China
• coherence
• constitution
• constitutional law
• development
• human rights
• politics
• Shadow

HUALING FU is Associate Professor of Law, University of Hong Kong.
LISON HARRIS is Assistant Research Officer at the Centre for Comparative& Public Law, University of Hong Kong.
SIMON YOUNG is Associate Professor; Deputy Director, Centre for Comparative and Public Law; and Co-Director, Asia-America Institute in Transnational Law at the University of Hong Kong.

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