GEN1000 Perspectives on General Education / Subject to Instructor’s Discretion
Nil
This module aims to introduce students to basic legal knowledge of the Chinese Constitution, Basic Law and National Security Law. Through a combination of lectures with class discussion and case studies, a range of legal issues is examined and analysed. On completion of this module, students should be able to exercise critical thinking and develop their reasoning skill in decision making to solve day-to-day issues in legal, political, economic, social and/or cultural contexts.
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:
a. describe and discuss the legal concepts of the Chinese Constitution, Basic Law and National Security Law as well as the legal status of Hong Kong;
b. analyse various daily life scenarios to identify relevant legal principles in decision making;
c. recognise the implications and analyse the legal interests of various parties in decision making; and
d. critically evaluate the scope of application in legal, political, economic, social and/or cultural contexts.
1. History and legal status of Hong Kong
1.1 Historical background
1.2 United Nations concept of selfdetermination
1.3 Sino-British Joint Declaration
1.4 One country two systems
2. Constitution
2.1 An introduction to political and constitutional systems
2.2 The PRC Constitution and its application to Hong Kong
2.3 Constitutional framework in Hong Kong
3. Basic Law
3.1 General principles
3.2 Government structure
3.3 Economic system and international relations
3.4 Education, social, religion, sport and labour
3.5 External affairs
4. National Security Law
4.1 Background
4.2 Offences and penalties
4.3 Other relevant issues
1. Participation (10%)
2. Project (25%)
3. Presentation (15%)
4. Examination (50%)
Relevant websites:
1. C.D. Xu and W.Z. Niu. Constitutional Law in China (the latest edition). Hong Kong: Kluwer Law International.
2. P.Y. Lo. The Hong Kong Basic Law (the latest edition). Hong Kong: LexisNexis.
3. H.L. Fu and M. Hor. The National Security Law of Hong Kong: Restoration and Transformation (the latest edition). Hong Kong: HKU Press.
4. Albert H.Y. Chen. An Introduction of the Legal System of the People’s Republic of China (the latest edition). Hong Kong: LexisNexis.
5. National People’s Congress of the PRC, http://www.npc.gov.cn/englishnpc/index.shtml
6. Sino-British Joint Declaration, https://www.cmab.gov.hk/en/issues/joint3.htm
7. Basic Law, https://www.basiclaw.gov.hk/en/basiclaw/index.html
8. The Law of the PRC on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, https://www.isd.gov.hk/nationalsecurity/eng/law.html
9. Hong Kong e-Legislation, https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/
10. Hong Kong Judiciary, https://www.judiciary.hk/en/home/index.html
11. Department of Justice, HKSAR, http://www.doj.gov.hk
