Hong Kong: Introduced Safeguarding National Security Bill implementing Basic Law Article 23 of the Basic Law

On 8 March 2024, the Safeguarding National Security Bill implementing Article 23 of the Basic Law was introduced in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR). The Bill covers the government's constitutional duty to safeguard national security, recommendations on offences, and measures to give proportionate extraterritorial effect to some offences. The Bill addresses risks posed by new information technologies and would classify actions endangering national security, such as sabotage of public infrastructure and unauthorised acts related to such systems involving computers or electronic systems, as offences. In particular, the Bill stipulates that any person who, without lawful authority, performs an act related to a computer or electronic system with the intent to endanger national security is liable to a 20-year imprisonment sentence upon conviction. The Bill applies to acts performed both within and outside the Hong Kong SAR.