Abstract
This monograph is a study of press law in Hong Kong after sovereignty retrocession to the People's Republic of China. It asks why has the unprecedented constitutional commitment for press freedom after the handover failed to translate into practical guarantees in the legal arena? Reasons that may be accounted for are two. First, Hong Kong law is marked by inconsistent legislations. Second, this inconsistency leads to a heavy reliance on executive restraint and judicial enforcement to protect the press. Most disturbing is the constant denial and disregard of the role and value of the press by the judiciary. This monograph further contends that in marking the boundary for the exercise of press freedom, the judiciary is also defining the triadic relationship among the authorities, the press and the citizens. This monograph concludes that unless there is a profound judicial awakening, Hong Kong's press freedom as a legal right will remain illusionary and empty.
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