致香港大學法律學院各教職員
我們代表一群關注政改的香港大學法律系學生致函香港大學法律學院。首先，我們感謝學院對學生享有言論自由之憲法權利的肯定及尊重。同時，我們希望學院將會繼續支持於站於前線，促進建設性社會變革的學院學生、教授以及法律工作者。
近年，香港社會就政制發展問題的討論引發了不同的意見和訴求。有關行政長官及立法會議員選舉辦法的政改討論更將社會上不安定的氣氛推至最高點。 針對緩慢的民主進程，以及中央政府對基本法中訂明「高度自治」的不尊重，來自不同階層的市民均表達了他們的關注與顧慮。
最近，香港各大專院校乃至中學學生，決定於九月廿二日發動為期一星期的全港性罷課行動，從而向中央政府表達我們對全國人大常委會早前為香港普選行政長官定下不合理規範的不滿。
或許我們因為不同理由而選擇就讀香港大學法律學系，但是在法律學院的這段時間中我們都無一例外地逐漸成長。作為法律學院的學生，儘管我們未必有同樣的夢想與志向，但我們都明白且體會到自己在「生於斯，長於斯」的城市中所堅守的基本原則和核心價值。公義、公平、自由、三權分立和法治都是我們對核心價值的理解。我們意識到在欠缺這些原則的情況下，法庭將無法成為我們所信賴的審裁地方，法律工作者亦不能在如此社會中追求公平和公義。
故此，在這些原則受到挑戰的時候，身為法律學習者的我們更應該於這場持久的抗爭中站在前方。當看見身邊的法律工作者、教授、香港大學學生和其他院校法律學系學生都開始站起來承擔這場抗爭的重負之時， 我們更感到要與他們同心同行的重要和逼切性。
香港大學法律學院通過清晰表明對是次行動的立場，並指示該星期各課堂的相應安排，幫助了學院學生明白是次行動可能造成的後果及自願承擔罷課可能構成的影響。
在這封公開信中，我們深切盼望學院會繼續支持作出知情選擇以尋求貢獻社會的學生。此外，我們亦希望呼籲學院職員及成員支持九月十八日的全港性行動「九一八，為法律，為公義民主: 法律學生齊穿黑衣！」。 是次行動由香港中文大學，香港城市大學以及香港大學的法律系學生共同策劃發動，目的是透過實際行動，於這次關鍵時刻鞏固全港法律系學生對香港政制發展的共同願景。
至於支持是次罷課行動的學生，我們呼籲您們將這次罷課的消息向您身處的法律學生團體分享，把握機會與他們討論及彼此交流意見，並密切留意未來數星期的消息更新。 要看得見改變，必先從改變自己開始。
如有任何查詢，歡迎隨時透過以下電郵與我們聯絡：[email protected]
香港大學法律學生政改關注組
二零一四年九月十七日
﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣﹣
To members of the Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong
We, a group of concerned law students from the University of Hong Kong, are writing this letter to express our gratitude for your reassurance of the constitutional rights of students to free expression and also to communicate the hope that the Faculty will sustain its support for the students, staff and practitioners who are at the frontline pushing for constructive changes in our society.
The city has been engulfed in political controversies and turmoil for the past few years, and such unrests were taken to new heights as the recent debate on political reform for universal suffrage is raging.
People from all different walks of life have come together to express their concern over the sluggish pace of democratization in Hong Kong and the lack of respect on the part of the Central Government for the “high degree” of autonomy both promised and entrenched in the Basic Law.
Recently, university and even secondary school students have come out to spill their grievances and disappointment towards the unjustified NPCSC-imposed impediments to universal suffrage in Hong Kong by organizing a territory-wide strike in the week of 22nd of September.
Students may have decided to read law at The University of Hong Kong for many different reasons, but the time here in this university has, no doubt, changed us all. Even with different dreams and aspirations, a great many, if not all, law students have come to understand that there are underlying principles and values in this city with which we have lived and grown up. The concepts of justice, equality, liberty, separation of powers and the rule of law have now been woven into and core to our understanding of this world. We realize that without these principles, there could be no courtrooms in which legal battles are fought and, even more fundamentally, there would be no society in which legal practitioners can secure genuine justice and equality.
Now that these values are under direct challenge, there are no reasons why we, as apprentices of the law, should not also be at the forefront of this ongoing battle. We see our practitioners, professors, fellow schoolmates and law students in other universities across Hong Kong shouldering the weight of this uphill fight. With these comrades of ours we feel compelled, indeed beholden, to share this burden.
The Faculty has helped us in this endeavor by a clear expression of its stance and the corresponding arrangements for lectures and tutorials during the week of the student strike, enabling participating students to take note well in advance of the possible costs of absence and be fully responsible for their actions.
In this open letter, we would like to ask the Faculty to show their continuous support for students who aspire nothing but to contribute to society by making well-informed decisions.
Moreover, we would like to call upon the Faculty staff and members to support the forthcoming territory-wide event of “Dress in Black for Justice, for Democracy, for the Rule of Law” on 18th September 2014. This event is organized by law students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong and The University of Hong Kong, aiming to consolidate the legal student community during this time of great troubles.
As to those students who are supportive of this strike, we would like to ask you to spread this message among the legal student community, to discuss with your peers and others, and to follow our updates in the coming weeks because big changes will never start from the top but only from us.
For any enquiries, please feel free to contact us through [email protected]
The University of Hong Kong Law Students Political Reform Concern Group
17th September, 2014