About HKROLIN
Our Mission
In the era of the National Security Law (NSL), the Hong Kong Rule of Law Initiative (HKROLIN) is committed to safeguarding the constitutional guarantees enshrined in the Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights, with unwavering resolve in advancing judicial accountability.
We uphold that judges—especially those at the Court of Final Appeal—must adhere to the principles of independence, impartiality, and integrity in defending the rule of law and administering justice amidst ongoing challenges.
What We Do
HKROLIN publishes legal research and investigations, judicial complaints, and accountability oversight to expose judicial misconduct and legislative/government overreach, violating the Basic Law and Bill of Rights. Our core initiatives include:
- Legal Research and Investigations
Analyzing the NSL and Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO) for compliance with the Basic Law, Bill of Rights, CFA precedents, and common law principles, examining and exposing legislative and governmental overreach. - Judicial Complaints and Accountability Oversight:
Dissecting CFA rulings with flawed reasoning and holding the judiciary, legislature, and executive accountable for constitutional violations. - Publications & Archival
Maintaining archives of complaints/reports/inquiries for public, legal, and historical accountability. - Community Engagement
Empowering local and diaspora communities to jointly pursue judicial integrity, legislative oversight, and government accountability, rebuild constitutional order and restore the rule of law.
What We Stand For
HKROLIN is committed to the rule of law and the constitutional integrity of Hong Kong’s Basic Law.
We operate as a legal watchdog, grounded in judicial accountability and constitutional oversight—not politics. We uphold integrity, impartiality, and independence, demanding the same from Hong Kong’s judiciary.
By safeguarding constitutional protections, exposing judicial misconduct, and ensuring legislative/governmental accountability, HKROLIN equips Hongkongers to defend rights and uphold justice.
Who We Are
Founder
Chi-Sang Poon, PhD, is the founder and editor-in-chief of HKROLIN. A Hong Kong native, he spent over 30 years as a Principal Research Scientist at MIT. His research examines Hong Kong’s constitutional framework under the Basic Law and Bill of Rights, particularly its impact on the rule of law amidst the NSL and SNSO.
Founding Advisors
- Sin Chung-kai – Former Hong Kong Legislative Councillor.
- Edward Chin – Convenor of World Hong Kong Forum and Senior Adviser to RSF Reporters Without Borders (HK & Macau).
Contact Us
📧 info@hkrolin.org
🔗 facebook.com/HKRuleOfLawInitiative
🐦 @HKROLIN
Newsletter Signup Form
About the HKROLIN Logo
The HKROLIN logo symbolises Hong Kong residents’ right to demand the highest standards of judicial integrity from the Judiciary and judges, as pledged in the Judiciary’s Guide to Judicial Conduct (2022).
It features a human-like figure, representing Hongkongers and the scales of justice, with arms outstretched to maintain balance, standing atop the Court of Final Appeal dome. This powerful imagery highlights the judiciary’s accountability to the people in upholding impartiality and integrity—fundamental principles of the rule of law enshrined in the PRC’s Law on Judges (Chapter 2, Article 10, Clause 6), which mandates judges to accept public supervision in accordance with the law.
Under the Basic Law (Articles 2 and 85), Hong Kong’s courts are guaranteed full independence from external influence, in stark contrast to PRC courts, which lack such independence. However, persistent misunderstandings of this core One Country, Two Systems principle—particularly the belief that Hong Kong court independence remains subject to central authority, even within Hong Kong’s autonomous domain—have led to the gradual erosion of the rule of law since the 1997 handover. This deterioration accelerated following the 2020 National Security Law (NSL), which led to the Sino-British Joint Declaration being dismissed as “a piece of waste paper.”
At this critical juncture, HKROLIN stands as a constitutional watchdog, committed to ensuring judicial accountability and empowering Hongkongers to uphold the rule of law. This mission is reflected in our name, HKROLIN (echoing ‘Hong Kong Rollin’), and our tagline: “KEEP HONG KONG ROLLIN’ WITH RULE OF LAW ACCOUNTABILITY.”
Copyright © 2025 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes