National security law: double criminality should apply, China law expert says.

中国的法律专家认为，香港维护国家安全法应适用双重犯罪。

Hong Kong’s new national security law does not spell out the principle of double criminality but the concept should still apply because it is enshrined in other Chinese legislation, according to a mainland legal scholar and adviser to the central government.

中国内陆法律学者、中央政府顾问、北京人民大学刑法专家时延安教授认为，香港新的《维护国家安全法》并未阐明双重犯罪原则，但该概念仍应适用，因为它已被其他中国立法所载入。

“Judging from its text, the national security law in Hong Kong does have a broader jurisdiction compared with China’s Criminal Law,” said Shi Yanan, a criminal law expert at Renmin University in Beijing. “But the principle of double criminality is enshrined [in China’s Criminal Law].”

时教授说：“从其文本来看，与中国的刑法相比，香港的国家安全法的确具有更广泛的管辖权。”“但是双重犯罪原则（在中国的刑法中）已经确立了。”

Double criminality is the principle that a suspect can only be extradited from one jurisdiction to another if the person is suspected of an action that is a crime in both jurisdictions.

双重犯罪原则是指，只有在嫌疑人的行为在两个司法管辖区均构成犯罪时，才可以将其从一个司法管辖区引渡到另一司法管辖区。

Article 38 of the new Hong Kong law says the legislation applies to offences against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from outside the region regardless of the persons’ nationality.

香港新国安法第三十八条明确规定，不具有香港特别行政区永久性居民身份的人在香港特别行政区以外针对香港特别行政区实施本法规定的犯罪的，适用本法。

Critics say the legislation’s definition of offences is vague and covers actions that might be protected in other countries under the principle of freedom of speech.

批评人士称，立法对罪行的定义含糊不清，并涵盖了在其他国家可能受到言论自由原则下保护的行动。

However, Shi said that while the Hong Kong law did not explicitly refer to the principle of double criminality, it should still apply.

但是，时教授认为，虽然香港法律并未明确提及双重犯罪原则，但仍应适用。

“My understanding is … anything that involves extradition and mutual criminal assistance has to follow double criminality in practice,” he said.

“我的理解是……任何涉及引渡和刑事互助的做法在实践中都必须遵循双重犯罪。”他说。

The National People’s Congress Standing Committee, China’s top lawmaking body, passed the national security law for the city on June 30, and added it to the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution.

6月30日，十三届全国人大常委会第二十次会议全票通过了《中华人民共和国香港特别行政区维护国家安全法》，并将其加入《香港特别行政区基本法》。

The law prohibits secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with another country or external elements to endanger national security, with a maximum penalty of life in prison.

该法明令禁止分裂国家、颠覆国家、恐怖活动及勾结外国或者境外势力危害国家安全，对于这些违法行为，最高处以无期徒刑。

After the law came into effect on June 30, the United States, Canada and Australia suspended extradition treaties with Hong Kong, while Britain and New Zealand said they were looking into doing the same, citing concerns over the legislation’s reach over their citizens.

该法于6月30日生效后，美国，加拿大和澳大利亚暂停了与香港的引渡条约，而英国和新西兰则表示正在考虑这样做，理由是担心该立法会涉及其公民。

In addition, the national security law allows the central government and the mainland judiciary to directly handle the city’s cases if they are considered too complex or beyond the capacity of the Hong Kong government.

此外，如果案件过于复杂或者超出香港政府的管辖能力范围，新法允许中央政府及内地司法部门直接处理，详见第五十五条规定：有以下情形之一的，经香港特别行政区政府或者驻香港特别行政区维护国家安全公署提出，并报中央人民政府批准，由驻香港特别行政区维护国家安全公署对本法规定的危害国家安全犯罪案件行使管辖权：

（一）案件涉及外国或者境外势力介入的复杂情况，香港特别行政区管辖确有困难的；

（二）出现香港特别行政区政府无法有效执行本法的严重情况的；

（三）出现国家安全面临重大现实威胁的情况的。

Wang Haiyan, a criminal procedure law specialist at China University of Political Science and Law, said mainland restrictions in areas such as access to a lawyer would apply under such circumstances.

中国政法大学刑事诉讼法专家汪海燕教授认为，在上述情况下，大陆地区在诸如聘请律师方面的限制将适用。

For example, a suspect in custody for alleged national security offences would need official approval to see a lawyer before being charged, according to Article 39 of the procedure law.

例如，根据中国《刑事诉讼法》第三十九条规定，因涉嫌危害国家安全犯罪、恐怖活动犯罪案件，在侦查期间辩护律师会见在押的犯罪嫌疑人，应当经侦查机关许可。

The Criminal Procedure Law also empowers the authorities to place the defendants under residential surveillance at designated locations if they deem necessary.

刑事诉讼法还授权当局在必要时可将被告置于指定地点进行监视居住。

“In that case, I’m afraid only mainland lawyers can represent [the defendants] in those cases,” Wang said.

汪教授说：“在这种情况下，恐怕只有内陆律师才能在这些案件中代表被告。”

“I don’t think Hong Kong lawyers would be allowed in mainland courts.”

“我认为香港律师不会被准许来内地法院代表被告。”

But Wang said Hong Kong’s national security law also included protections that were not available on the mainland, such as references to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

但是汪教授也提到，香港的国家安全法还包括内陆没有的保护措施，例如第四条规定，“香港特别行政区维护国家安全应当尊重和保障人权，依法保护香港特别行政区居民根据香港特别行政区基本法和《公民权利和政治权利国际公约》、《经济、社会与文化权利的国际公约》适用于香港的有关规定享有的包括言论、新闻、出版的自由，结社、集会、游行、示威的自由在内的权利和自由。”其中的《公民权利和政治权利国际公约》和《经济、社会与文化权利的国际公约》就是内陆没有的。

（译自：南华早报）

参考资料：

中华人民共和国刑事诉讼法(2018修正)

中华人民共和国香港特别行政区维护国家安全法