Paul Lam, Justice Secretary for Hong Kong said there is no placement of limit on press freedom.
Hong Kong Justice Secretary, Paul Lam made statements on Monday that national security legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law places no "extra and unreasonable" restrictions on freedom of press and the media can still sharply criticise the government.
In an opinion piece written in Ming Pao Daily, Justice Secretary said that there was no move to introduce restrictions on the press through the law.
He explained that the administration wants the media to pass on accurate, fair and positive information, lead society to make adjustments and seek changes.
"At the same time, [officials] need to comprehensively know the ideas, needs and demands from the public [through the press]," Lam wrote.
He said so long as the media continue to be impartial, objective and fair in adhering to fundamental professional codes in seeking the truth, there is no need for journalists to be particularly concerned about violating the security law.
In the piece titled "Change and no change", Lam said while the enactment of the homegrown security law last month marked a major change, there are also things that have remained constant such as the values of common law and the rule of law.
"On the one hand it improved the legislation on safeguarding national security. It also fully respects fundamental human rights and freedoms on the other," he wrote.
香港國家安全：律政司司長表示第23條對新聞自由沒有限制
香港律政司司長林鄭月娥週一發表聲明稱，《基本法》第二十三條規定的國家安全立法並未對新聞自由設置「額外且不合理」的限制，媒體仍然可以尖銳批評政府。
律政司司長在《明報》發表評論稱，沒有採取透過法律限制新聞界的行動。
他解釋說，政府希望媒體傳遞準確、公正、積極的訊息，引導社會調整、求變。
「與此同時，[官員]需要全面了解公眾[透過媒體]的想法、需求和要求，」林鄭月娥寫道。
他表示，只要媒體繼續秉持公正、客觀、公正的態度，恪守基本的專業守則，尋求真相，記者就無需特別擔心違反國安法的問題。
林鄭月娥在題為「變與不變」的文章中表示，雖然上個月制定的本土安全法標誌著重大變化，但也有一些東西保持不變，例如普通法和法治的價值觀。
他寫道：“一方面完善了維護國家安全的立法。另一方面也充分尊重基本人權和自由。”
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