Amid ongoing unrest, judge calls for establishment of independent complaints system

The Hong Kong government breached its bill of rights on protection from torture and cruel treatments by failing to provide an independent mechanism for complaints about police, the region’s high court has ruled.

The finding comes as a report by international experts who quit a Hong Kong police brutality inquiry last year said officers’ crowd-control tactics had radicalised protesters and worsened perceptions of the force’s legitimacy.

Justice department pushes to install national security judge in case as three pro-democracy legislators arrested over unruly scenes during debate

Hong Kong’s department of justice has asked that a national security judge take over the trial of an activist, even though he has not been charged with national security offences, in a move that underlines the erosion of the city’s independent legal system.

It came as a senior Chinese official called for “judicial reform” in Hong Kong and three pro-democracy legislators were arrested.

Hong Kong has plunged further into crisis, as a new law imposed by Beijing allowing the disqualification of 'unpatriotic' opposition members led to the immediate disqualification of four sitting legislators.

The move prompted the entire pro-democracy caucus to announce their resignation, and was heralded by the opposition politician Claudia Mo as 'the death knell of Hong Kong’s democracy fight'

• Hong Kong opposition lawmakers all quit after four members ousted

Disqualified legislator says move signals the end of ‘one country, two systems’

China has passed legislation allowing for the immediate disqualification of lawmakers in Hong Kong deemed dangerous to national security, in a move widely seen as heralding the end of political opposition in the city.

The measure, passed by China’s highest legislative body on Wednesday, bars anyone from Hong Kong’s legislative council who supports independence, refuses to recognise Beijing’s sovereignty over Hong Kong, seeks help from “foreign countries or foreign forces to interfere in the affairs of the region” or commits “other acts that endanger national security”.

Tony Chung, 19, was on bail on suspected national security offences when he was reportedly ‘snatched away’

Tony Chung, a 19-year-old Hong Kong activist on bail after his arrest on suspected national security offences, has been detained by authorities while attempting to seek asylum at the US consulate.

Two other members of Chung’s now-disbanded activism group, Yanni Ho and William Chan, were also arrested later on Tuesday.

Police detain four men and five women suspected of arranging transport for activists who tried to flee by boat to Taiwan

Hong Kong police say they have arrested nine people suspected of helping 12 activists who fled the city in August, heading for Taiwan, but were intercepted by Chinese authorities and held on the mainland.

The group of nine arrested on Saturday included four men and five women, some of whom had been previously arrested for participating in the massive protests that threw the financial hub into turmoil last year, were taken into custody for “assisting offenders”.