Focus on learning ABCs of rule of law
Top News | Eunice Lam 5 Dec 2023
Hong Kong will soon have a comprehensive rule of law education system that will instill national awareness and identity, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok said.
Lam said the education system aims to let the public, especially teenagers, have a correct understanding of the rule of law and to raise their awareness to respect it.
"Youngsters are the future - the successors of the one country, two systems principle. So there's a need to groom their national awareness and identity from childhood, strengthen the education on the country's history, culture and current condition," he said.
The Department of Justice's Steering Committee on Rule of Law Education launched the first phase of courses under the Rule of Law Education Train-the-Trainers program late last month.
The program allows participants from 20 groups responsible for young affairs and community services to learn about the coherence between China's constitution, the rule of law in Hong Kong, Basic Law and national security law.
They will also learn the basic concepts of the mainland legal system and the "important parts" of the common law system in Hong Kong. Participants can become rule of law ambassadors of Hong Kong and help authorities tell good stories about the city.
"The constitution is the fundamental law of the state with supreme legal force and status in the national legal system," Lam said.
He also said it is a "fundamental responsibility" for Hong Kong people to learn about the constitution and respect it.
"Only by upholding the spirit of the constitution and complying with the rule of law can Hong Kong effectively implement the one country, two systems principle, with Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong and a high degree of autonomy, as well as continuing to leverage Hong Kong's unique advantages," Lam said.
He also encouraged members of the disciplined services to do their utmost to shoulder the sacred responsibility of safeguarding national security.
"For members of the disciplined servicesyou also have the responsibility to assist the government to promote patriotism education, enhance the public's understanding of the constitutional order, build their sense of nationhood and strengthen national identity," Lam said.
In November 2014, the 12th Standing Committee of the National People's Congress decided to set up Constitution Day on December 4 annually, in which the country would promote the constitution by different means.
Lam officiated at the flag-raising ceremony at the Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development yesterday morning, along with Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung, Police Commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee, and Customs and Excise Commissioner Louise Ho Pui-shan.
Participating disciplined services in the flag-raising ceremony included the Immigration Department, Customs and Excise Department, Fire Services Department, Correctional Services Department, Hong Kong Police Force and Government Flying Service.
The disciplined services ceremonial guard and the flag party comprising more than 100 members marched into the venue with a Chinese-style foot drill and conducted the flag-raising ceremony highlighted by a fly-past by a GFS helicopter.
The ceremony was concluded by the Immigration Band's military tattoo.
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