斗争的受害者 香港律师会会长辞职

Hong Kong’s summer of political discontent has claimed its highest-profile victim, after the city’s Law Society in effect forced the resignation of its pro-Beijing president.

香港持续整个夏天的政治纷争产生了最知名的受害者：香港律师会(Hong Kong Law Society)在事实上迫使了其亲北京的会长辞职。

Ambrose Lam San-keung resigned yesterday ahead of a Law Society council meeting called to discuss his tenure, following last week’s vote of no-confidence in the two-term president.

林新强(Ambrose Lam San-keung)昨日在香港律师会理事会开会讨论他的任期之前宣布辞职。上周香港律师会曾举行特别会员大会，通过对这位会长的不信任动议。

“In order to maintain the solidarity of the Hong Kong Law Society, I will tender my resignation to the council with immediate effect,” said Mr Lam.

“为了保持香港律师会的团结，我将向理事会递交辞呈，即时生效，”林新强表示。

Mr Lam became a lightning rod for criticism among Hong Kong’s 8,000 Law Society members when he voiced support for Beijing’s “One Country, Two Systems” white paper, which stated that the freedoms enjoyed in the city were a privilege granted by China rather than an automatic right.

林新强曾表态支持中央政府的《“一国两制”在香港特别行政区的实践》白皮书。这使他成为香港律师会一些会员的批评对象。白皮书称，香港享有的各项自由是中央授予的特权，不存在自动的权利。香港律师会有8000名会员。

Mr Lam, a managing partner at law firm Lam, Lee & Lai, claimed to speak on behalf of the society when he openly supported Beijing’s white paper – a document that has heightened concerns over what some see as Beijing’s tightening grip on the city.

身为林李黎律师事务所(Lam, Lee & Lai)管理合伙人的林新强在公开支持中央的白皮书时，自称代表香港律师会。香港一些人士认为北京方面正在收紧对该市的管控，白皮书加剧了他们的这种担忧。

The white paper refers to judges as “administrators” and requires that they be “patriotic” towards China.

白皮书称法官是“治港者”，并要求他们“爱国”。

Critics of the document suggest it could water down Hong Kong’s judicial independence and the autonomy enjoyed by the territory compared with mainland China.

这份文件的批评者认为，它可能淡化香港的司法独立，淡化这个特别行政区相比中国内地所享有的自治。

A solicitor who works in a big international law firm in Hong Kong and attended last week’s Law Society vote said: “If there is decreased confidence in the judicial independence and rule of law in Hong Kong, that would be to the detriment to Hong Kong’s business market. [Global companies] would lose confidence in Hong Kong as a business centre.”

在香港一家大型国际律师事务所工作、参加了上周律师会投票的一名律师表示：“如果人们对香港的司法独立和法治信心下降，那将损害香港的商业市场。（全球企业）将失去对香港作为商业中心的信心。”

Kevin Yam, a Hong Kong solicitor who initiated the no-confidence vote, said: “[Mr Lam] did the right and honourable thing to listen to and respect the voices of the majority of the Law Society. Judicial independence, rule of law: they are fundamental for Hong Kong as an international city.”

发起不信任动议的香港律师任建峰(Kevin Yam)表示：“（林新强）做了正确和光荣的事情，听取和尊重律师会多数会员的声音。司法独立、法治：它们是香港作为一个国际城市的根本要素。”

Mr Lam’s support for the white paper prompted 1,800 black-clad legal professionals to hold a silent march through the city in late-June, and sparked terse responses from senior legal experts.

林新强表态支持白皮书的举动，促使1800名法律界人士在6月下旬身穿黑衣静默游行，并招致资深法律专家的简短回应。

“If judges have to be standing with the government and form part of the government [as the white paper suggests], this would be totally contrary to the rule of law,” Audrey Eu Yuet-mee, a former president of the Bar Association, told local media.

“如果法官必须（像白皮书所称的那样），与政府站在一起，构成政府的一部分，那将是完全违反法治的”，曾任香港大律师公会(Hong Kong Bar Association)主席的余若薇(Audrey Eu Yuet-mee)在接受当地媒体采访时表示。