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
