Brendan Clift is a Lecturer at Melbourne Law School. He is also a PhD candidate at MLS and holds master’s degrees in law and journalism from the University of Hong Kong and an arts/law double degree from Macquarie University. He is admitted to legal practice in New South Wales and worked around the Asia-Pacific region in law, legal publishing and the media prior to joining academia. Brendan’s research focuses on authoritarian legalism, taking Hong Kong as a case study, and media law, particularly defamation. He also publishes and teaches in other areas, including intellectual property, torts and criminal law, in Australia and Hong Kong. He is a General Editor of the peer-reviewed Media and Arts Law Review, a frequent contributor to major works including Halsbury’s Laws, and a recent co-author of Australian Media Law: 6th edition (2021).
Tens of thousands of Hong Kongers left amid a crackdown on dissent. But Hong Kong is still freer than the mainland, making it attractive for Chinese professionals.
The Hong Kong government was quick to blame the pandemic for the city s drop in international competitiveness. However, the cause must be searched in factors like the national security law Beijing