GENEVA – UN experts* today expressed alarm that lawyer Kevin Yam (Yam Kin Fung) was disbarred and financially penalised on 16 July 2025 in direct connection with public statements he made about the independence of judges and prosecutors in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), during an intervention at a US Congressional hearing in May 2023.
“We take note with serious concern that Mr. Yam was struck from the Roll of Solicitors without having breached any of the Law Society’s statutes or the Code of Conduct, and by a tribunal appointed by the Chief Justice,” the experts said. They recalled that Yam had been criminalised for a similar action more than two years ago.
“This is a new retaliation and an alarming assault on freedom of expression and lawyers’ rights to practice their profession and express their views in line with international standards,” the experts said. “This attempt to silence lawyers by disbarring them is an appalling violation of international law and sets a very troubling precedent in Hong Kong and China.”
The experts stressed that the free exercise of the legal profession is crucial to ensure access to justice, oversight of state power, protection of due process and judicial guarantees.
“States must guarantee that those who practice law can do so free from intimidation, obstacles, harassment or interference,” they said. “Their function is key to the right to a fair trial.”
The experts have been in touch with China about their concerns.
*The experts:
Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers;
Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.
Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/.
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