Hong Kong withdraws extradition bill that sparked mass protests News
© WikiMedia (Studio Incendo)
Hong Kong withdraws extradition bill that sparked mass protests

Hong Kong Secretary of Security John Lee announced Wednesday the formal withdrawal of the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 in front of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.

The bill would have expanded Hong Kong’s extradition laws to include mainland China, Macau and Taiwan. Previously, Hong Kong only extradited criminals to countries with established extradition agreements or on an individual basis. Residents of the semi-autonomous city alleged that the bill represented a loss of rights to mainland China, and mass protests erupted over the summer.

Protests over the bill proposal have continued, even though Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced her intention to withdraw the bill in early September.

The amendment arose after a Hong Kong citizen murdered his pregnant girlfriend in Taiwan and then fled to Hong Kong. Because no extradition agreement existed between Hong Kong and Taiwan, the suspect avoided being extradited to Taiwan.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Egypt President Anwar Sadat visits Israel

On November 19, 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat visited Israel, becoming the first leader of an Arab nation to officially visit. Two years later, President Sadat became the first Arab leader to recognize Israel by signing the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty. Read President Sadat's address to the Israeli Knesset.

Jay Treaty signed

On November 19, 1794, US Chief Justice John Jay and British foreign secretary Lord Grenville signed a treaty in Philadelphia under which British forces pulled out of the disputed Northwest Territory. Review the Jay Treaty.