Marco Wan comments on the case of Sham Tsz-kit v. Secretary for Justice on Deutsche Welle news

In a television interview with Deutsche Welle (DW) news, Marco Wan, shares the recent development of the legal framework for recognizing the existence and rights of same-sex couples in Hong Kong after the judgement of Sham Tsz-kit v. Secretary for Justice decided on 5 September 2023. He identifies and comments on the unique challenges on legalizing or offering legal recognition to same-sex marriage in Hong Kong. He also illustrates the major concerns from the LGBTQ+ Community on the degree of protection to same-sex couples in Hong Kong to be introduced by the Government's new framework. Click here to view the interview (in English) on YouTube.

CCPL Survey finds A Growing Share of Hong Kong People Support Same-Sex Couples’ Rights 60 Percent Support Same-Sex Marriage

Press Release: A new report shows that Hong Kong public opinion on same-sex couples’ rights has changed markedly over the past ten years. Earlier this year, 60% of Hong Kong people said they supported same-sex marriage, while only 17% said they were not supportive, and 23% were neutral. In comparison, 50.4% supported same-sex marriage in 2017, and 38% did so in 2013.

    The new report is jointly issued by the Centre for Comparative and Public Law at the Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong; the Sexualities Research Programme at The Chinese University of Hong Kong; and the Human Rights Law Program at the University of North Carolina School of Law. The report is based on the longest running study to track public opinion in Hong Kong concerning same-sex marriage using representative samples. The research was led by Holning Lau from the University of North Carolina, Kelley Loper from the University of Hong Kong, and Yiu Tung Suen from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The team conducted a telephone survey of Hong Kong residents in 2013, repeated the survey in 2017, and repeated it again earlier this year.

    The survey asked about other issues in addition to same-sex marriage. It found growth in support for gay men and lesbians and their rights across various domains. For example, 71% of people in 2023 said that Hong Kong should have a law to protect against sexual orientation discrimination, compared with 69% in 2017 and 58% in 2013. A remarkably small percentage of people in 2023—only 6%—disagreed with having such legislation. The share of Hong Kong people who said they were unaccepting of gay men and lesbians dropped nearly 20 percentage points between 2013 and 2023 (from 32% to 13%).

    “Our study shows that support for the rights of same-sex couples has grown quite considerably in the last decade,” said Suen. “The increase in support for same-sex marriage and the decrease in opposition to sexual orientation discrimination legislation are particularly striking.”

    Lau noted the legal and social backdrop to the survey.  “A lot has changed over the past ten years. Hong Kong courts have made headlines with rulings that protect same-sex couples. The list of jurisdictions around the world that have legalised same-sex marriage has grown rapidly. Representation of lesbians and gay men in local and global media has also grown. These are some of the factors that formed the backdrop to the shifts in public opinion that we found in our research.”

    Still, Loper highlighted persisting discrepancies between public opinion and law: “Although 71% of Hong Kong people said they favor having a law to protect against sexual orientation discrimination, and only a small proportion of people disagree, the government of Hong Kong has yet to enact such legislation. Same-sex couples also continue to be excluded from marriage, despite majority support.”

    The release of the report coincides with the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), which is observed annually on 17 May. For the full report see here.
   Professor Holning Lau (hslau@email.unc.edu) and Associate Professor Kelley Loper (kloper@hku.hk) are available for press inquiries in English by email. Associate Professor Yiu Tung Suen is available for press inquiries in Chinese and English by email (suenyiutung@cuhk.edu.hk) .

Professor Marco Wan Speaks on Marriage Equality and Trans Rights at HSBC and Morgan Stanley

Professor Marco Wan spoke at HSBC and Morgan Stanley to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT) and Pride Month. At HSBC, Professor Wan analyzed the key court cases and changing landscape of marriage equality in Hong Kong. At Morgan Stanley, he discussed the major developments and future trajectories of trans rights in the city.

     Professor Wan also serves as a curator for the Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. His latest article, ‘Law, Film, and Trans Identity in Hong Kong’, was recently published in the International Journal of Constitutional Law (I.CON) this summer.

Marco Wan on Queer Temporalities and Transgender Rights: A Hong Kong Case Study (Social & Legal Studies)

"Queer Temporalities and Transgender Rights: A Hong Kong Case Study" 
Marco Wan 
Social & Legal Studies An International Journal

First Published: 2020-8-27
Abstract: This article investigates how theoretical explorations of queer time can shed light on our understanding of law. Taking transgender rights in Hong Kong as a case study, it argues that legal judgments can entrench normative temporal structures and impose tropes such as linearity, futurity, and finality onto the life scripts of trans subjects. Through close readings of the Court of Final Appeal decision in W v. Registrar of Marriages and the recent judicial review challenges that have emerged in its aftermath, it demonstrates how the cases exclude transqueer individuals who do not fit into those temporal trajectories from the realm of rights protection. It also suggests ways of thinking about the temporalities of transgender issues differently. The analysis here stages an encounter between law and literary/cultural theory, and provides a new perspective on the current state of transgender rights in Hong Kong.

Marco Wan on Queer Temporalities and Transgender Rights: A Hong Kong Case Study (Social & Legal Studies)

"Queer Temporalities and Transgender Rights: A Hong Kong Case Study"

Marco Wan

Social & Legal Studies

Published online in August 2020

Abstract: This article investigates how theoretical explorations of queer time can shed light on our understanding of law. Taking transgender rights in Hong Kong as a case study, it argues that legal judgments can entrench normative temporal structures and impose tropes such as linearity, futurity, and finality onto the life scripts of trans subjects. Through close readings of the Court of Final Appeal decision in W v. Registrar of Marriages and the recent judicial review challenges that have emerged in its aftermath, it demonstrates how the cases exclude transqueer individuals who do not fit into those temporal trajectories from the realm of rights protection. It also suggests ways of thinking about the temporalities of transgender issues differently. The analysis here stages an encounter between law and literary/cultural theory, and provides a new perspective on the current state of transgender rights in Hong Kong.

Marco Wan on Same-sex Marriage in the Context of Hong Kong (JP Morgan Webinar)

Marco Wan spoke on the timely and important issue of same-sex marriage at a recent webinar at the Hong Kong office of the US investment bank JP Morgan on 24 June 2020. His presentation gave an update of the recent cases in Hong Kong, including QT, Leung Chun Kwong, Infinger, and MK, and also explored international developments. The talk further explored Hong Kong's marriage history as a way of thinking about the twenty-first century debate about marriage equality; this part of the talk drew on his forthcoming article entitled "The Invention of Tradition: Same-sex Marriage and its Discontents in Hong Kong". The talk concluded by noting the need not only to focus on marriage, but on other issues central to sexual minority rights such as employment discrimination. 

​

Kelley Loper on the Courts, Public Opinion and the Rights of LGBT Persons: A Hong Kong Perspective (Austr J Asian L))

"The Courts, Public Opinion and the Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Persons: A Hong Kong Perspective"

Kelley Loper

Australian Journal of Asian Law

Vol. 20, No. 1, Article 4, 2019

Published on 31 Jan 2020

Abstract: In recent years, courts in many jurisdictions have considered the relevance of societal consensus when judicially reviewing policies that affect the rights of sexual orientation and gender identity minorities. This article focuses on three landmark cases concerning transgender marriage and the rights of same-sex couples in Hong Kong, where the apex court has produced relatively progressive rights jurisprudence. A study of these decisions offers comparative insights about the role of public opinion when judges resolve potentially controversial claims involving the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons. It examines the lower courts’ reliance on, and the Court of Final Appeal’s ultimate rejection of, consensus as a factor when justifying limitations on fundamental rights. At the same time, this analysis suggests that a more nuanced approach — entailing both resistance and responsiveness to public opinion — may be warranted. The Hong Kong jurisprudence sets the stage for developing alternative understandings of consensus which could enhance judicial contributions toward broader discussions in support of LGBT rights protection.  Click here to download the paper.

Kelley Loper on Human Rights and Substantive Equality: Prospects for Same-Sex Relationship Recognition in Hong Kong (N Carolina J Int'l L)

"Human Rights and Substantive Equality: Prospects for Same-Sex Relationship Recognition in Hong Kong"

Kelley Loper

North Carolina Journal of International Law

Spring 2019, Volume 44, No. 2, Article 4

Introduction: This Article considers judicial approaches to the adjudication of the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) persons in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (Hong Kong). Hong Kong provides a notable case study of litigation strategies and court responses in a jurisdiction open to international human rights law. Sodomy was decriminalized in 1991 under the former British colonial regime, and, since 2006, Hong Kong courts have decided a number of cases concerning a range of issues including transgender marriage, different ages of consent for vaginal and anal intercourse, other discriminatory criminal provisions, restrictions on television broadcasts about relationships between gay men, the rights of incarcerated transgender persons, and the rights of same-sex couples. Other cases are still working their way through the system and future challenges are anticipated as advocates continue to pursue a persistent litigation strategy... Click here to read the full text. 

New CCPL Report on Same Sex Couples' Unequal Access to Public Housing in Hong Kong

CCPL research finds that due to the discriminatory nature of the public housing policy, same-sex couples (LGB individuals) are subjected to an economic penalty of HKD233,539. Findings of the study also suggest that the impugned policy is counter-productive to distributing public housing fairly and efficiently.

      The data analysis in this report demonstrates that low-income same-sex couples suffer an economic penalty as a result of their LGB identities. Owing to the fact that their relationships are not legally recognized for the purpose of applying for public housing as families, they are subjected to a longer waiting time of 12 years, during which they have to pay an extra HKD233,539 for private rental accommodation, when compared to their heterosexual counterparts. This report estimates that at least 2,772 LGB persons are adversely affected by the current policy. It is important to note that such a discriminatory policy does not only deny non-heterosexual couples’ equal access to housing benefits but is also detrimental to economical and effective distribution of subsidized housing, adversely affecting the Hong Kong public in general and public residential housing applicants in particular. To download the full report by Elizabeth Lui, click here.

Marco Wan on The Invention of Tradition: Same-Sex Marriage and Its Discontents in Hong Kong (Int'l J Const L)

"The Invention of Tradition: Same-Sex Marriage and Its Discontents in Hong Kong"

Marco Wan

International Journal of Constitutional Law

July 2020, Volume 18, Issue 2, pp 539-562

Abstract: In Leung Chun Kwong v. Secretary for the Civil Service, the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal held that the government unlawfully discriminated against a gay civil servant by refusing to recognize his same-sex marriage—entered into abroad—when considering the granting of local spousal benefits and joint tax assessment. The year before, in QT v. Director of Immigration, the court had ruled against the government for denying the partner of a British lesbian a dependant visa on the basis of her sexual orientation. QT and Leung Chun Kwong are landmarks in the rapidly evolving jurisprudence on same-sex marriage in the territory. This article presents an analysis of the Hong Kong cases relating to gay rights and same-sex marriage. It contends that, even though the need to protect traditional marriage is cited as a reason against marriage equality in many jurisdictions, the claim is particularly problematic in Hong Kong, given the city’s unique marriage history. It draws on the historian Eric Hobsbawm’s notion of “the invention of tradition” to argue that the rhetoric of traditional marriage conjures up an imagined past that displaces a vast and varied set of long-standing marital practices. By exploring government reports and records pertaining to Chinese marriages in colonial Hong Kong, this article then examines these forgotten traditions and demonstrates their significance for understanding the marriage equality debate in the territory in our own time.

Marco Wan on Sexual Orientation and the Historiography of Marriage in Hong Kong (HKLJ)

"Sexual Orientation and the Historiography of Marriage in Leung Chun Kwong v Secretary for the Civil Service"
Marco Wan
Hong Kong Law Journal
Vol. 48, Part 2 of 2018, pp 605-622

Abstract:  This article critically examines the Court of Appeal’s historiography of marriage in Leung Chun Kwong v Secretary for the Civil Service. In this case, the court held that the government was right not to recognise the litigant’s overseas same sex marriage for the purposes of granting spousal benefits or allowing joint tax assessment locally. Two main assumptions underpin the court’s reasoning. First, the institution of marriage in Hong Kong is based on a history or tradition specific to the territory, such that the continuing international movement towards the recognition or legalisation of same-sex marriage is largely irrelevant to the territory. Second, prevailing societal views about marriage are coterminous with such history or tradition. This article argues that while the Court of Appeal’s judgment rightly underscores the uniqueness of Hong Kong’s marriage history, it remains wedded to an ahistorical understanding of the local marriage system. This article then presents a survey of marriage traditions that existed for most of the territory’s past and posits that a more nuanced understanding of local history actually supports, rather than undermines, Leung Chun Kwong’s case.

Po Jen Yap on “Ring-Fencing” Marriage after W and QT Have Unbolted Its Gates? (HKLJ)

"Spouses without Benefits: “Ring-Fencing” Marriage after W and QT Have Unbolted Its Gates?"
Po Jen Yap
Hong Kong Law Journal
Vol. 48, Part 2 of 2018, pp 365-374

Abstract: In “ring-fencing” all putative benefits closely connected to heterosexual marriage, the Court of Appeal (CA) in Leung Chun Kwong v Secretary for the Civil Service rewrote art 37 of the Basic Law, which according to the CA now provides that the traditional conception of marriage is “guaranteed by the Basic Law” and its “traditional, historical, social, moral or religious background and values [are] embedded in article 37 of the Basic Law”. In doing so, the CA has completely ignored the sole precedent of the Court of Final Appeal (CFA) on art 37 — W v Registrar of Marriages. Remarkably, Leung Chun Kwong is even inconsistent with the CA’s own decision in QT v Director of Immigration, and it is now even less defensible after the CFA’s latest word in QT.

Kai Yeung Wong (SJD Candidate) Comments on the QT Case (MLR)

"An Incomplete Victory: The Implications of QT v Director of Immigration for the Protection of Gay Rights in Hong Kong"
Kai Yeung Wong (SJD Candidate)
The Modern Law Review

September 2018, Vol. 81, Issue 5, pp. 874-889

Abstract: QT v Director of Immigration [2017] 5 HKLRD 166 is the most important decision on gay rights in Hong Kong since the unequal ages of consent between heterosexuals and homosexuals were held to be unconstitutional 10 years ago. The Court of Appeal of Hong Kong affirmed the right of same‐sex couples married or in a civil partnership overseas to be treated on an equal basis with married heterosexual couples. This note considers the strengths and shortcomings of the Court of Appeal's reasoning, in terms of its potential significance both to the rights of sexual minorities and to the wider protection of human rights by means of the common law.  Note that the Court of Final Appeal affirmed the Court of Appeal's decision on 4 July 2018, see [2018] HKCFA 28.

CCPL Survey Finds More Than 50% Support for Same-Sex Marriage in Hong Kong

Press Release: A new report issued by the Centre for Comparative and Public Law shows that Hong Kong public opinion on same-sex couples’ rights has changed significantly in recent years. In 2013, only a minority of Hong Kong people said that same-sex couples should be permitted to marry (38%). By 2017, however, over half of people expressed agreement with same-sex marriage (50.4%). In 2017, 78% of Hong Kong people said that same-sex couples should have at least some of the rights enjoyed by different-sex couples, compared with 73% in 2013. In addition, 69% of people in 2017 said that Hong Kong should have a law to protect against sexual orientation discrimination, compared with 58% in 2013.

     The report is based on the first study ever to track changes in Hong Kong public opinion concerning legal protections for gay men and lesbians. The research was led by Holning Lau from the University of North Carolina, Charles Lau from RTI International, Kelley Loper from the University of Hong Kong, and Yiu-tung Suen from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The team conducted a telephone survey of a representative sample of Hong Kong residents in 2013, and then repeated the survey in 2017. 

     “Our study shows that support for the rights of same-sex couples has grown markedly over a short period,” said Professor Suen. “A few years’ time has made a significant difference.”

    “Our study also illuminates a discrepancy between law and public opinion,” noted Professor Loper. “While 69% of Hong Kong people said they favor having a law to protect against sexual orientation discrimination, the government of Hong Kong has yet to enact such legislation.”

     In addition to repeating the survey questions from 2013 in 2017, the research team added a new question about immigration rights. They found that 53% of Hong Kong people said they agree that Hong Kong residents in same-sex partnerships should be permitted to apply for immigration visas for their partners; 18% were neutral and 29% disagreed.

     In response to the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal’s decision today (July 4) in QT v. Director of Immigration, a case concerning a lesbian seeking a visa for her same-sex partner, Professor Lau said: “Our research suggests that the majority of Hong Kong people support the same-sex couple in the QT case.” 

    For the full report: http://www.law.hku.hk/ccpl/report.pdf. HKU Centre for Comparative and Public Law website: http://www.law.hku.hk/ccpl/.  Professor Loper is available for press inquiries in English at kloper@hku.hk. Professor Suen is available for press inquiries in Chinese and English at suenyiutung@cuhk.edu.hk/ tel: 3943 6624.  For press coverage of this news, see New York Times, SCMP, Pink News.

Marco Wan on Hong Kong's Unique Traditions of Marriage and the Same-Sex Civil Servant's Case (SCMP)

"Gay marriage would be more at home among Hong Kong's traditions than court suggests"

Marco Wan

South China Morning Post

7 June 2018

In the latest twist in the saga of same-sex unions in Hong Kong, the Court of Appeal ruled against Angus Leung Chun-kwong, the gay civil servant who asked the government not to discriminate against him by granting him and his male partner, whom he married abroad, spousal benefits, and allowing them to file their taxes jointly. The court notes that Leung’s claims were inconsistent with the local culture, history and tradition upon which the contemporary understanding of marriage is built.

     However, a closer look at Hong Kong’s unique traditions of marriage suggests that these traditions actually support Leung’s case. Decades of gay rights litigation have taught us that the past that gets evoked to resist change is often more imaginary than real, and any use of it, whether by courts, politicians or activists, should be scrutinised.

    In ruling against Leung, the court underscores that Hong Kong’s prevailing socio-moral values militate against any official recognition of his marriage. Crucially, it emphasises that such societal views are primary considerations for both the court and the government because they are derived from long-standing local practices and beliefs associated with marriage. Granting spousal benefits or joint tax assessment to gay and lesbian couples, then, would be tantamount to going against the history of marriage in Hong Kong.

     The court is insistent on this point: phrases like “the Hong Kong context”, “history”, “tradition” and “long usage” appear repeatedly in the judgment.

     This inward turn towards the city’s supposedly unassailable lineage also underpins the court’s sidelining of developments in the long line of pro-gay jurisdictions around the world, including that of Britain, the United States, Taiwan and European countries like France and Germany... Click here to read the full article.

Assessing the Tongzhi Label (J of Homosexuality)

"Assessing the Tongzhi Label: Self-Identification and Public Opinion"
H Lau, G Yeung, RL Stotzer, CQ Lau & Kelley Loper
Journal of Homosexuality
May 2016

Abstract: Tongzhi is one of several Chinese terms that refer to individuals who are attracted to the same sex. Using data from two different surveys in Hong Kong, this research note examines how the term tongzhi coexists with other terms. We investigate the prevalence of self-identification as tongzhi, and we explore the extent to which using the term tongzhi influences public attitudes toward gay people and gay rights. Activists began popularizing the term tongzhi in the late 1980s, but less than one third of the participants in our 2008 survey of sexual orientation minorities (n = 728) described themselves as tongzhi. Using a split-ballot experiment in a 2013 public opinion poll (n = 831), we found that attitudes toward gay people and gay rights were not significantly impacted by whether questions were phrased in terms of tongzhi or the main alternative term tongxinglianzhe. We discuss how our findings can enrich understandings of earlier research and illuminate avenues for future study.  Click here to read the full article.

Life and Future of British Colonial Sexual Regulation in Asia (HKLJ Focus Section)

Preface by Lynette J Chua and Michael Hor.  This focus issue was inspired by recent developments on same-sex sexual regulation that has roots in British colonialism in present-day Asian jurisdictions.  In January 2014, the Indian Supreme Court reversed the lower court's decision and ruled that s 377 of the Penal Code was constitutional.  Ten months later, Singapore's final court of resort, the Court of Appeal, handed down its landmark decision upholding the constitutionality of s 377A of its Penal Code. 

     The judgments were deeply disappointing and troubling to us, the joint editors of this focus issue.  Whereas the struggles for sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) minorities in countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States have turned favourably towards the legal recognition of same-sex relationships and adoption, 42 out of 54 Commonwealth countries, most of which were British colonies, continue to struggle for the decriminalisation of same-sex sexual conduct... Published in Volume 46, Part 1, 2016, Hong Kong Law Journal.  The table of contents of the focus issue is as follows:

Focus: The Life and Future of British Colonial Sexual Regulation in Asia
Preface Lynette J Chua and Michael Hor	1
Trans* Individuals and Normative Masculinity in British India and Contemporary Pakistan Shahnaz Khan	9
The Wife as an Accomplice: Section 377 and the Regulation of Sodomy in Marriage in India Saptarshi Mandal	31
The Limits of Liberty: The Crime of Male Same-Sex Conduct and the Rights to Life and Personal Liberty in Singapore Jack Tsen-Ta Lee	47
Legacies of Exceptionalism and the Future of Gay Rights in Singapore Stewart Chang	71
Pride or Prejudice? Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Religion in Post-Colonial Hong Kong Amy Barrow and Joy L Chia	89
International Law and the Rights of Gay Men in Former British Colonies: Comparing Hong Kong and Singapore Carole J Petersen	109
Towards the Elimination of Prescriptive Sexual Regulation in Family Law in Singapore Leong Wai Kum	131
Asia and Oceania LGBTI Law Reform: Breaking the Log-Jam The Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG	151

Articles are available on Westlaw.  Click here to read the abstracts.

Kelley Loper Interviewed on Need for LGBT Discrimination Law in Hong Kong (RTHK Radio)

"No consensus shows LGBT prejudice, says academic"
RTHK Radio 3
11 January 2016

A lack of consensus should not delay legislating against discrimination based on sexual orientation, a Hong Kong law academic said on Monday.

     Kelley Loper, an associate professor and the director of the human rights programme at the Hong Kong University's Faculty of Law, said lack of consensus points to a discrimination by some groups and warned that Hong Kong is way behind other places in anti-discriminatory laws.

     Local LGBT groups were left disappointed on New Year's Eve when a government advisory body recommended "further study" of the idea of introducing anti-discrimination legislation. 

     The long-awaited report came ahead of the Equal Opportunities Commission's (EOC) plan to study the feasibility of legislating against discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation. 

    Loper said the EOC, which should push the government on this issue, has been weakened over the years.  Click here to listen to the radio interview.

New Issue of Hong Kong Law Journal (Part 3 of 2015)

HONG KONG LAW JOURNAL

Vol. 45, Part 3 of 2015

Editor-in-Chief: Professor Rick Glofcheski

Associate Editor: Professor Albert Chen

Table of Contents

Articles
Gay Marriage and the Common Law Conflict of Laws Rules: A Singapore Perspective KC Lye and Ervin Tan	693
Fair Dealing Doctrine Caught between Parody and UGC Exceptions: Hong Kong’s 2014 Copyright Amendment and Beyond Wenwei Guan	719
Non-Traditional Maritime Security and International Cooperation Jun Zhao	743
Institutionalising Mediation in Hong Kong AKC Koo	769
China Law
Electronic Recording of Custodial Interrogations with Chinese Characteristics: Tool for Transparency or Torture? Kuibin Zhu and David M. Siegel	795
Emergence of a Dual Constitution in Transitional China  Shucheng Wang	819
Toward a More Balanced Safe Harbour Protection System for Internet Service Providers in China Jia Wang	851
Towards a Harmonised Definition of Terrorism in China: A Discussion Under “One-Country, Two Systems” Dr Li Zhe and Dr Sten Idris Verhoeven	881
The Transformation of Chinese Law: Mark II Jianfu Chen	911
What Happens to Embryos When the Would-Be Parents Die: The “Orphaned Embryos” Custody Dispute in China Ding Chunyan	941
“Is Court Mediation Feasible?” Quantitative Research on the Attitudes of Legal Professionals in Southwest Grassroots Society of Chin Xiong Hao	963
Why Does a Powerful Regulatory Regime Fail? An Examination of the Regulation of Prepaid Cards in China Pan Su	987
Book Reviews
Confucian Perfectionism: A Political Philosophy for Modern Times, Joseph Chan Scott Veitch	1023

New Volume of Asia-Pacific Journal on Human Rights and the Law Published (2015)

ASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE LAW

Editors-in-Chief: Simon NM Young and Kelley Loper

Publisher: Brill, Leiden

Vol. 16, Issues 1 & 2, 2015

Special Section on Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Introduction
Rhona K. M. Smith 1-7

Women’s Rights in Intellectual Property and Traditional Knowledge Protection in Lao PDR
Champathong Phochanthilath 9-25

The Right of Children in Accessing Primary Education: Vientiane Province Case Study
Khonsavanh Vongvannasay, Khamphang Vongphachanh, and Vilay Langkavong 26-41        

The Right to Access a Lawyer in Laotian Criminal Law
Bounmy Ladsamyxay 42-54

Articles

Investment Promotion as Progressive Realization of Economic and Social Rights
Johanna Aleria P. Lorenzo 55-103

The Politics of Domestic Implementation of International Human Rights Law: A Case Study of Sri Lanka
Deepika Udagama 104-149

Equality and Singapore’s First Constitutional Challenges to the Criminalization of Male Homosexual Conduct
Jack Tsen-Ta Lee 150-185

Click here for more information information about the APJHRL and for instructions on article submission.