Edwina Lau: HKSAR has jurisdiction over national security law cases except under 3 circumstances
By Zhu Dan
03:46

Edwina Lau (Lau Chi-wai) has served in the Hong Kong Police for 35 years, and has been appointed as the deputy commissioner of police (National Security) to head the department for safeguarding national security of the Hong Kong Police Force.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said: "I have no doubt that she can discharge the historic responsibility of leading the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force to fulfill the crucial duty to safeguard national security at this critical moment."

In an exclusive interview with CGTN, Lau said that she feels immensely proud and yet humbled by the historic responsibility of this important post.

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They will establish a "close working relationship" and maintain close communication with the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), she said.

Lau also disclosed that the department will recruit qualified professionals and technical personnel from outside Hong Kong to provide assistance in the performance of duties for safeguarding national security.

She said the HKSAR shall have jurisdiction over cases under the national security law except under "specified circumstances."

"The national security law and the laws of the HKSAR shall apply to procedural matters, including those related to criminal investigation, prosecution, trial and execution of penalty," she added.

"Specified circumstances," according to Lau, refer to any or one of the following three situations that has been reported by the HKSAR government or the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR to the central government for approval:

(1) The case is complex due to the involvement of a foreign country or external elements, thus making it difficult for the HKSAR to exercise jurisdiction over the case;

(2) A serious situation occurs where the HKSAR government is unable to effectively enforce the national security law;

(3) A major and imminent threat to national security has occurred.