Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, at a media session after attending the Chief Executive's Question Time at the Legislative Council today (April 3):

Reporter: … the government to lower the threshold to surrender the fugitives…

Secretary for Justice: Can you tell me on what basis? I don't understand what you mean by lowering the threshold for evidence. I don't understand that.

Reporter: … the supporting documents…

Secretary for Justice: And you think that is lowering the threshold of evidence?

Reporter: According to the Bar Association...

Secretary for Justice: Then you assumed it is lowering the threshold, right? Now I repeat again. In the existing ordinances, the provisions say that documents from the other jurisdiction can be submitted via the courts or the relevant government authorities in the courts. As a matter of practice, it has happened both from courts submissions, as well as governmental department submissions from foreign jurisdictions sending the documents to Hong Kong. So, I can tell you the facts, but I cannot comment on your question which I do not understand, I am sorry. What is your second question?

Reporter: … other jurisdictions…

Secretary for Justice: Hong Kong is looking at the system of ensuring that no fugitive offenders can stay in Hong Kong, and Hong Kong has absolutely no means, no proper rule-based means, by which we can surrender the fugitive offenders to the relative places. We have in Hong Kong reached agreement with 20 jurisdictions around the world, and they range from common law countries like Australia; they include civil law countries like the Netherlands and Spain; they include Islamic law countries like the United Arab Emirates; they also include jurisdictions which are closer to Hong Kong, for example, the Philippines. So we do respect the jurisdiction and the system that they have in the other places, and we must ensure that we have a proper rule-based system as a rule of law society, in order to deal with these matters.

Ends/Wednesday, April 3, 2019