Cant/Eng/Nat Hong Kong's Democratic Party has launched a court challenge, questioning the legality of Beijing's hand-picked legislature planned for the territory. On Tuesday it filed an injunction against the new law making body. The legal move in Hong Kong's Supreme Court came just 21 days before China takes over Hong Kong. Legal experts say it has little chance of succeeding - though it is likely to embarrass Beijing. The action came as several Democrats met Chief Executive designate Tung Chee-hwa. The Hong Kong Supreme Court was the site of the first of the Democrats' attacks on the Provisional Legislature on Tuesday. There are only three weeks to go until the current elected body is replaced by the Chinese-appointed group. The United Democrats, left out of the future legislature, have expressed hope they can get satisfaction from the court while it is still under British rule. Albert Ho, a party spokesman, filed the suit on behalf of member Ng Keng-lun. The party hopes to get a hearing within two weeks. At stake are several laws passed by the Provisional Legislature since it started meeting in China earlier this year. The legal challenge was aimed at convenor Rita Fan, the new legislature's de facto president. SOUNDBITE: (English) "We are seeking an injunction to restrain Mrs. Fan from acting or purporting to act in the office of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and further alternative, a declaration that all the legislations purported to be read and passed by the Provisional Legislative Council, which was presided over by Mrs. Rita Fan, before the July 1, 1997, are null and void." SUPER CAPTION: Albert Ho, United Democrats of Hong Kong party The court papers were served to Fan later in the afternoon. Last weekend's Provisional legislature meeting in Shenzhen, China, saw several bills passed. They included laws on the right of abode and the appointment - instead of election - of municipal and district positions. Democrats have long criticised the body as an illegal creation by the Chinese government. They say that any laws passed before the handover aren't valid. Fan says that she and her colleagues are not worried about the suit or any other challenges the Democrats might have planned. SOUNDBITE (English): "I am confident that the matter will be resolved in our favour, because all these months ever since the Provisional Legislature council has been established, we have been very careful that we acted within the realms of the law." SUPER CAPTION: Rita Fan, president of the Provisional Legislature While Fan was being sued, Democratic leader Martin Lee was meeting Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong's future leader. The Democrats asked the Chief Executive designate to look into changes into Hong Kong's mini-constitution, known as the Basic Law, to speed up the process of democratisation after the handover. That request and another to restrict proportional representation were both rejected by Tung. Lee said Tung repeated a statement over the weekend about the strength of his principles. The United Democrat leader questioned those principles. SOUNDBITE: (Cantonese) "He emphasised that if he has to do things which are against his will, he will be just like (Chief Secretary) Anson Chan and consider resigning. But the problem is that from, what I can see, things that Mr. Tung has done are disadvantageous to Hong Kong." SUPER CAPTION: Martin Lee, leader of the United Democrats of Hong Kong party Tung has agreed to one of Lee's requests - that the Democrats be allowed to meet government department heads in order to voice their concerns. But any success on blocking the Provisional Legislature depends on the Supreme Court. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/31b835dda712fdcecfd1615f39036315 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

• published: 21 Jul 2015
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