A New Constitutional Order in Hong Kong: Managing Conflict Over the Interpretation of the Basic Law

• Author: Wang Xuanwei
• Pages: 139-167

WXW HK PAGE PROOF (DO NOT DELETE)7/16/2009 5:01 AM

A New Constitutional Order in Hong Kong:

Managing Conflict Over the Interpretation

of the Basic Law

WANG Xuanwei*

I. INTRODUCTION

The power of interpretation of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong

Special Administrative Region of the People‟s Republic of China

(the Basic Law) is quite a sensitive and controversial issue. The Ba-

sic Law is not only the constitutional law of the Hong Kong Special

Administrative Region (Hong Kong or HKSAR), but it is also a na-

tional law of China. The bodies exercising the power of interpreta-

tion are therefore from both mainland China and HKSAR, and apply

different regimes to interpret law. In their attempts to harmonize the

conflict between both sides, the lawmakers of the Basic Law have

created a unique system for its interpretation. In practice, unfortu-

nately, this unique system still results in disputes – in particular,

mainland Chinese scholars argue that when Hong Kong courts ex-

amine legislative conduct of the central government, the courts are

exceeding their authority over Chinese sovereignty,1 whilst some

Hong Kong scholars assert that the central government interferes

with the independence of the Hong Kong judiciary.2 The case of Ng

*Wang Xuanwei, Ph.D Candidate (Law School of Tsinghua University, the PRC),

Master of Common Law (2007, Hong Kong University, the PRC), LL.M and LL.B (1998,

1995, Yun-nan University, the PRC).

1 就香港特别行政区终审法院的有关判决内地法律界人士发表意见[N],1999 年2月8日,

人民日报. Jiu Xianggang te bie xing zheng qu zhong shen fayuan de you guan pan jue nei

di fa lv jie ren shi fa biao yi jian, [Mainland Legal Professionals Express Opinions on Cer-

tain Judgments Made by the HKSAR Court of Final Appeal], Renmin ri bao (PEOPLES

DAILY) Feb. 8, 1999; Bing Ling, Can Hong Kong Courts Review and Nullify Acts of the Na-

tional People’s Congress? 29 HONG KONG L. J. 8 (1999).

2 佳日思.请人大释法的后果[N], 1999 年6月14 日, 明报. Jia Risi, Qing Renda shi fa de hou

139

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140 TSINGHUA CHINA LAW REVIEW Vol. 1:139

Ka-Ling and Others v Director of Immigration3 was the first so-

called “constitutional crisis” after the reunification of Hong Kong

and the mainland, and prompted conflict involving these kinds of ar-

guments. This paper aims to analyze the different mechanisms used

to interpret law in mainland China and HKSAR, describe the dis-

putes arising from the interpretation of the Basic Law in practice, and

then put forward some proposals to improve the process of interpre-

tation of the Basic Law.

AI.THE SYSTEM OF INTERPRETING LAW IN MAINLAND CHINA

A. The NPCSC exercises the power to interpret law

In mainland China, the allocation of national power is found in

the Constitution. Originally, Article 31 of 1954 Constitution4 (the

first Constitution of the PRC) regulated that the Standing Committee

of the National People‟s Congress (NPCSC or Standing Committee)

exercises the power to interpret law. The 1975 Constitution5 retained

guo, [Consequences of Asking the National People’s Congress to Interpret the Law ], Ming

bao (MING PAO) Jun. 14, 1999; JOHANNES M. M. CHAN, Judicial Independence: A Reply to

the Comments of the Mainland Legal Experts on the Constitutional Jurisdiction of the Court

ofFinal Appeal, in HONG KONG‟SCONSTITUTIONAL DEBATE: CONFLICT OVER

INTERPRETATION (Hong Kong U. Press 2000); Yash Ghai, A Play in Two Acts: Reflections on

the Theater of the Law, 29 HONG KONG L. J. 5 (1999).

3Ng Ka-Ling and Others v. Director of Immigration [1999] 1 H.K.L.R.D. 315 (hereinafter

Ng Ka-Ling case).

4中华人民共和国宪法第三十一条: “全国人民代表大会常务委员会行使下列职权 :

…(三) 解释法律。 ” (1954 年9月20 日第一届全国人民代表大会第一次会议通过 ),

Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo xian fa [Constitution of the People‟s Republic of China

(adopted at the First Session of the First National People‟s Congress on Sep. 20, 1954)], Ar-

ticle 31: “The Standing Committee of the National People‟s Congress exercises the follow-

ing functions and powers: … (3) to interpret laws.”

5中华人民共和国宪法第十八条: “全国人民代表 大会常务委员会是全国人民代表大会

的常设机关。它的职权是：召集全国人民代表大会会议，解释法律，制定法令，派遣

和召回驻外全权代表，接受外国使节，批准和废除同外国缔结的条约，以及全国人民

代表大会授予的其他职权。”（1975 年1月17 日中华人民共和国第四届全国人民代表

大

会第一次会议通过）, Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo xian fa [Constitution of the People‟s

Republic of China (adopted at the First Session of the Fourth National People‟s Congress on

Jan. 17, 1975)], Article 18: “The Standing Committee of the National People‟s Congress

shall be a permanent organ of the National People‟s Congress. It exercises the following

functions and powers: to convene a session of the National People‟s Congress; to interpret

laws; to enact decrees; to decide on the dispatch or recall of plenipotentiary representatives

abroad; to receive foreign diplomatic representatives; to ratificate or abrogate treaties con-

cluded with foreign states; and to exercise such other functions and powers as the National