Hong Kong court lets UK lawyer defend media tycoon Jimmy Lai

A Hong Kong court on Wednesday upheld the decision to let a veteran British lawyer defend pro-democracy newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai at his upcoming national security trial.
Lai, the 74-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, was arrested after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law to crack down on dissent following widespread protests in 2019. He faces three charges of conspiracies to collude with a foreign country and a separate sedition charge. His trial is expected to begin on Dec. 1.
The National Security Law criminalizes acts of succession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces. If convicted, Lai faces the maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Timothy Owen, a London-based legal veteran who specializes in criminal and human rights law, was granted court approval last month to represent Lai despite objections from the city’s secretary of justice and the Hong Kong Bar Association.