我們在此聯署，要求法律界的立法會議員郭榮鏗公開譴責暴力，譴責所有蠶食及破壞法治的行爲並與借示威之名所行使的暴力割蓆。
 
2019年12月8日，暴徒向高等法院及終審法院投擲汽油彈及縱火，公然向這兩個香港人一直引以為傲的法治象徵挑戰。但這只是自2019年6月起，反修例演變出來的暴亂最近期的不法行為。這幾個月內，暴徒眾多的暴力及違法行為，導致人命傷亡，公共設施、機構及私人財產嚴重損毀，損失難以估計。

在法院縱火是對法治及法律直接挑戰及侮辱，是每一位捍衛法治及法律的律師絕對不能容忍的。
 
我們在此公開強烈譴責暴徒的暴力違法行為，並毫無保留地與暴徒及暴力割蓆。
 
與此同時，我們留意到，作為法律界代表的立法會議員郭榮鏗對有人向法治象徵投擲汽油彈僅表示「十分遺憾」。郭議員不但沒有明確作出譴責，反而藉此順水推舟，將燒法院事件也一併歸咎政府，實屬荒誕。
 
我們認為，郭議員指控政府將「政治爭議」放到法庭解決是荒謬及無稽的。所有犯法行為，包括借政治示威之名的所有犯法行為，都應在法院審理及判決。
 
至於把公然違法事件及嚴重刑事罪行描繪為「政治爭議」，並企圖將責任歸咎於政府，在我們看來不單不能接受，更顯示郭議員對是非黑白的最基本分辨能力完全欠奉。
 
我們對郭議員的不負責任言論不僅表示遺憾，更在此致以譴責。同時，我們亦要求郭議員，以法律界代表的身份，毫無保留及毫不含糊地公開譴責借示威之名作出的暴力違法行為及公開與所有暴力違法行為割蓆。
 
發起人: Lawyers Hong Kong 香港律師
2019年12月12日


We, the undersigned, demand that Dennis Kwok, Legislative Council Member elected to represent the Legal Functional Constituency, do condemn the violence and all actions that erode and harm the Rule of Law and do dissociate from violence carried out in the name of protests.
 
On 8 December 2019, rioters threw petrol bombs at and set fire to the Hong Kong High Court and Court of Final Appeal – the very institutions and symbols representing Hong Kong’s time-honoured and cherished Rule of Law. Such actions were merely the latest outrage against civil order in our city since the anti-extradition crisis and the ensuing riots which began six months ago. For months, our city has suffered unprecedented and utterly unacceptable violent behaviour and criminal acts, resulting in death and horrific physical injuries to our citizens as well as wrecking incalculable havoc and destruction to public and private property and to businesses.

The arson on the courts is the final straw and constitutes a direct challenge to and rejection of the law and the Rule of Law, which the legal profession shall protect and uphold. Such outrageous acts must and should be unequivocally condemned by members of the legal profession.
 
We hereby condemn in the strongest possible terms the illegal and violent acts of these rioters and reiterate our opposition to the rioters as well as their violent actions.
 
We note that Dennis Kwok, our Legislative Council representative for the Legal Functional Constituency, merely expressed “regret” at the use of petrol bombs thrown against the very symbols of the Rule of Law in our city. He failed to condemn such violence and illegal acts and even saw fit to lay the blame for the burning of our courts, quite absurdly, on the government.

Mr Kwok’s accusation that the government is seeking resolution of ‘political disagreements’ in the courts is without merit or justification. All criminal acts, including those carried out in the name of political protests are, and should be, prosecuted and adjudicated in the courts.
 
The arguments advanced by Mr Kwok, calling such outrageous illegal and criminal activities as mere ‘political disagreements’ and his further attempts to place the blame on the government are, in our view, not only unacceptable, but displays a fundamental inability to differentiate between right and wrong.

We hereby condemn the irresponsible rhetoric employed by Mr Kwok. We further demand that he, on behalf of the legal profession, unconditionally and unequivocally condemn and dissociate himself from all violence and criminal acts carried out in the name of protests.
 
Lawyers Hong Kong
12 December 2019
 
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