Kevin Yam urged US sanctions on Hong Kong judges; tribunal finds professional misconduct and strikes him off
任建峰促美國制裁香港法官 律師紀律審裁組裁定專業失當「釘牌」
Kevin Yam, former convenor of the Progressive Lawyers Group, was wanted by the police National Security Department in 2023 with a HK$1 million reward. In the same year, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok complained to the Law Society of Hong Kong that Yam had committed professional misconduct. The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal ruled in late July this year that a complaint concerning Yam’s request for sanctions against Hong Kong judges and prosecutors at a hearing before a US congressional committee was substantiated, and found him guilty of professional misconduct. The Gazette confirmed today that Yam had been removed from the roll of solicitors in Hong Kong. Yam later posted a statement in English on social media, denying that he had engaged in conduct inconsistent with his identity as a Hong Kong solicitor. He said that, in Hong Kong’s current environment, he had not defended himself in the disciplinary proceedings. He stressed that he had no regrets about attending the hearing and thanked the lawyers who had jointly defended Hong Kong’s rule of law and freedoms. Regarding being struck off, Yam described having mixed feelings, saying he was saddened to be “expelled” from Hong Kong’s legal profession. Although he was no longer a member of the profession, he said he would always have a place in Hong Kong’s legal profession.
前「法政匯思」召集人任建峰2023年被警方國安處懸紅100萬元通緝，律政司司長林定國同年向律師會投訴任建峰專業失當。律師紀律審裁組今年7月底裁定，任建峰出席美國國會委員會聽證會請求制裁香港法官及檢控官的投訴屬實，裁定其專業失當。憲報今日確認，已將任建峰從香港律師名冊上除名。 任建峰及後在社交網站發英文聲明，否認曾作出與香港律師身份不符的行為。他稱在香港目前環境，自己在研訊程序中沒有作出抗辯。他強調無悔出席當時的聽證會，又感謝曾一起捍衛香港法治自由的律師。對於被「釘牌」，任建峰就形容百感交集，對被「逐出」香港法律界感到傷感，自己亦不再是香港法律界一員，但香港法律界對其將永遠佔有一席位。