The trial of Jimmy Lai, founder of Next Media in Hong Kong, will begin on September 9. Lai is charged with the Hong Kong National Security Law "conspiracy to collude with foreign countries or external forces to endanger national security" Lai applied for a permanent termination of the hearing on the grounds that the HKSAR government prevented him from engaging the British Queen's Counsel Tim Owen to defend him.
On May 5, three judges issued a written judgment of about 29 pages rejecting Lai's application.