Title

Political transition and the rise of cause lawyering : the case of Hong Kong

Document Type

Journal article

Source Publication

Law and Social Inquiry

Publication Date

1-1-2010

Volume

35

Issue

3

First Page

663

Last Page

687

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.

Abstract

This article examines how cause lawyering can flourish under authoritarianism. Using the case of Hong Kong, it argues that the process of the sovereignty transition between the 1980s and 1997 contributed to the emergence of cause lawyering by establishing a favorable legal opportunity structure, by creating a political structure that provides incentive for lawyers-cum-politicians to engage in cause lawyering, and by prompting a few dedicated foreign human rights lawyers to move their practices to Hong Kong. Apart from the factors related to the sovereignty transition, other factors also facilitated the rise of cause lawyering in Hong Kong, including a rights-receptive judiciary, an autonomous legal profession, and a government-funded legal aid system.

DOI

10.1111/j.1747-4469.2010.01199.x

Print ISSN

08976546

E-ISSN

17474469

Publisher Statement

Copyright © 2010 American Bar Foundation

Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.

Full-text Version

Publisher’s Version

Language

English

Recommended Citation

Tam, W. (2010). Political transition and the rise of cause lawyering: The case of Hong Kong. Law & Social Inquiry, 35(3), 663-687. doi: 10.1111/j.1747-4469.2010.01199.x

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