The Pulse：SJ Teresa Cheng's house scandal, interview with SC Philip Dykes & recycling natural Christ

Things haven’t got off to a particularly good start for the newly appointed Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng, whose very first day of work was also the day for apologies. Nine illegal structures have been found in her and her husband’s adjacent homes in Tuen Mun. It has since emerged that Ms Cheng signed a mortgage deed that makes no mention of her illegal basement. Chief Executive Carrie Lam has reiterated her support for Cheng and asked for “more tolerance”. She was then asked whether that plea for more tolerance extended to all civil servants and Hong Kong people or just to high-ranking officials. Given all of this, eyebrows were raised when the new Secretary for Justice used the opening of the Legal Year on Monday to speak about how “law exists in practice”.
With us in the studio is senior counsel Philip Dykes who's running for the Chairman of the up-coming Hong Kong Bar Association's election. I should add that we did invite the current chairman of the Bar Association Paul Lam to join us but he declined.
This week the UK government set out its plan to reduce levels of plastic waste. Previously much of the world’s waste, including British waste, was taken to China for recycling. By 2012, more than half of all international plastic waste was ending up there. However Beijing began the year by imposing restrictions on imports of 24 types of waste, including waste plastic, glass, slag, waste wool, ash, cotton, yarn and unsorted paper. But China and Hong Kong’s festive celebrations bring waste of their own, much of it organic, and – even though it’s biodegradable – it still places an extra burden on the environment.
Well that’s it from us. Echoing the remarks of the new Secretary of Justice, we’re “far too busy” to linger longer. But before we go we’ll leave you with images of Ms Cheng’s “Villa de Mer” residence where the consequences of busyness are all too evident. See you next week. Goodbye.