Legal Resistance under Authoritarianism

This book examines the decline of Hong Kong’s rule of law under China’s expanding authoritarian influence. While the imposition of the National Security Law in 2020 is seen as a turning point, this book argues that threats to Hong Kong’s rule of law began with the 1997 sovereignty transfer. Drawing on fieldwork and insights from civil society, Yan-ho Lai explores the tensions between lawyers, political authorities, and the state’s broader authoritarian project between the 2014 Umbrella Movement and the 2019 Anti-extradition Bill Movement. Highlighting resistance strategies employed by a critical minority of legal professionals, Lai reveals how their efforts played a crucial role in countering state encroachment. A compelling study of legal resistance, legal transplantation, and the rule of law, this book sheds light on China’s influence beyond its jurisdiction, and Hong Kong’s uniqueness in global anti-authoritarian struggles.