Hong Kong Judicial Sanctions Act
The Hong Kong Judicial Sanctions Act would require the President to conduct a formal review of whether any current or former Hong Kong officials and judiciary listed in the bill should face U.S. sanctions. Within 180 days after enactment, the President must submit to Congress a determination with detailed justification on whether those listed meet the criteria for sanctions under several specified authorities (Global Magnitsky Act, Executive Order 13818, HK-related statutes, and related executive orders). The bill identifies two groups of persons for review: (a) individuals previously sanctioned by Treasury in August 2020 (and who may need updated information about their current roles), and (b) a broader list of Hong Kong officials and judges. While the bill does not itself impose sanctions, it creates a formal process for evaluating designation or designation updates and requires congressional oversight by the relevant committees.
Key Points
- 1The President must deliver a determination with justification within 180 days of enactment on whether any listed person qualifies for sanctions under five specified authorities (Global Magnitsky, EO 13818, HKHRDA 2019, Hong Kong Autonomy Act, and EO 13936 on Hong Kong Normalization).
- 2Two lists of targets for review: (b) “Previously Sanctioned” Hong Kong officials (with current-role updates needed) and (c) “Persons Listed” including a wide range of Hong Kong judiciary and related officials.
- 3The bill explicitly names certain individuals in the “Previously Sanctioned” group (e.g., John Lee Ka-chiu, Eric Chan Kwok-ki, Chris Tang Ping Keung, Zheng Yanxiong) for potential re-evaluation.
- 4The “Persons Listed” group contains a lengthy roster of judges, magistrates, prosecutors, and other Hong Kong officials, including roles in the Court of Final Appeal, High Court, and related institutions.
- 5The act defines which congressional bodies have oversight responsibility for this process: Senate Foreign Relations and Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; House Foreign Affairs and House Financial Services.