[ABSTRACT]

The Role of Criminal Justice in the Alleviation of Extreme Poverty

A Hong Kong Perspective

Lo Hing-cheung, Francis
Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions
Department of Justice
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
People's Republic of China

Corruption is a cancer. It threatens the development of societies both rich and poor. The consequences of corruption can be dire.

Corruption makes government uneconomic, because less revenue is collected. It causes instability, because it causes social concern. It produces insecurity, because standards are disregarded and criminals are protected.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region firmly tackles corruption. There is in place an anti-corruption agency which has wide powers. Effective legislation has contributed to a successful and prosperous society.

There is an inextricable link between the need to contain corruption and the protection of basic human rights. People cannot enjoy their rights if corrupt acts diminish the quality of that which is on offer, or if the pool of available resources is improperly diminished.