A Hong Kong court said on Tuesday its denial of bail for media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, the most high-profile person charged under the new national security law, was due to the risk of his committing further offenses. High Court judge Anthea Pang rejected Lai’s latest application last week but only made public the reasons for her decision on Tuesday. The new law puts the onus on the defendant to prove they would not be a national security threat if released on bail. Under Hong Kong’s common law-based legal system, the onus has traditionally been on the prosecution to prove its case. Beijing imposed the national security law on the former British colony last June after months of pro-democracy protests.

Source: The Standard February 23, 2021 09:33 UTC