Annual Lecture: Scholarship in times of constitutional transformation: a view from Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s constitutional order has been undergoing a momentous transformation since 2020. The introduction of the Hong Kong National Security Law and the use of a plethora of other security tools have pushed Hong Kong’s largely liberal legal order in an increasingly authoritarian direction. This lecture examines the implications of these changes for academic freedom in the territory. Through the lens of Hong Kong, it examines the unique challenges facing constitutional law scholars in authoritarian or liberal backsliding contexts, as well as the distinct contributions they can make. It concludes with reflections on the relevance of arguments against “scholactivism” to authoritarian contexts. The analysis in this lecture will help us to understand what scholars should and can do in politically volatile environments more generally.

Speaker

Cora Chan (DPhil, Oxon) is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Hong Kong. She specialises in public law and has written on proportionality, judicial deference, national security and rights, and China-Hong Kong constitutional relations, amongst other topics. Her work has appeared in leading journals such as the International Journal of Constitutional Law, Law Quarterly Review, Legal Studies, and Public Law. She is the co-editor (with Fiona de Londras) of China’s National Security: Endangering Hong Kong’s Rule of Law? (Hart, 2020). Cora serves on the editorial boards of Public Law, the Asian Journal of Comparative Law, and the Hong Kong Law Journal and on the advisory board of the International Journal of Constitutional Law. She was appointed by Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee to the Law Panel for the Research Assessment Exercise 2020. Cora’s accolades include the Society of Legal Scholars Best Paper Prize (2012), the Hong Kong Research Grants Council Early Career Award (2013), and the inaugural Rosie Young 90 Medal for Outstanding Young Woman Scholar (2021).