全國人大常委會委員長吳邦國六月六日在北京發表講話，談論香港特區在「一國兩制」的「授權自治」的源由、限制和原則，已有廣泛的討論和評論。

我認為問題不是在於吳邦國說了甚麼，而是在於他沒有說的。以下，我提出六大要點，供大家探討。 (more…)

今次「教院風波」，從個別事件的是非對錯往深一層看，就是關係到香港社會整體利益的學術自由和院校自治。經過近四十天的聆訊，調查委員會對個別「指控」雖然有不同的判斷，但同時也肯定了學術自由和院校自治是香港社會的核心價值。這是我們彌足珍重的。

學術自由是社會上人人都應該享有的思想和言論自由的一個有機部份、一個重要環節。社會上人人都應享有思想自由和發表自己思想的自由，在學術機構和團體工作的人士更應該享有這些自由，並受到特別的保護，因為他們的訓練、工作性質和開拓新思路、新視野的職責，令他們更易招權貴和社會成見的攻擊和打壓，而同時他們在社會所起的作用，對社會整體有極大重要性。 (more…)

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這一期A45報，非比尋常！

這當然不是指今期是最後一期那麼簡單，而是這最後一期，可能有「深層次的」政治意義。

話說某日物議員在立法會的走廊蹓躂，無意間聽到有兩個記者談論著突然停刊的A45報。 (more…)

每年7月，總有朋友問何時去逛書展？有些是想找我同行，有些是想打聽場內情況。我的回應是：「已經很多年沒逛書展了，今年也沒打算去。」

在漫畫出版社未分拆出來之前，書展曾經是暑假的重頭戲，早就見識過漫畫迷「迫爆玻璃」的壯觀場面，亦因利乘便做出許多非理性消費，每年均把一大籮書、漫畫和精品搬回家，許多「戰利品」今仍未拆封，有些昂貴精品則早已封塵，當年的戰績變成今日的「罪證」，令我不敢放肆。

越來越覺得看書是很個人的事，看與買沒有連帶關係，捨得買書的人未必就是學者。香港書展的地道特色，說穿了就是越來越像趁墟，首要目標是高價把場地租出，然後讓進場人數連年破紀錄，那些亮麗數字對讀書風氣來說，真的有裨益嗎？ (more…)

- By Denis Chang, SC

Much has been said and written about the speech which Wu Bangguo, head of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, made on 6 June concerning the origin, limits and principles of Hong Kong’s “authorized autonomy” under “One Country, Two Systems”.

As I see it, the problem is not in what he has actually said but in what he has not said or emphasized. (more…)

The 39-day hearing before the Commission of Inquiry on Allegations relating to the Hong Kong Institute of Education was an ordeal one would not want to go through more than once. Being the first witness on the stand and staying there for seven days was very stressful indeed. Afterwards it was tough sitting on an uncomfortable bench for several hours each day, following the proceedings with intense concentration. It was also galling to have to sit and listen to outrageous things being said without being able to correct them immediately. (more…)

- by Margaret Ng

I remember the night of the handover, how shortly after midnight I rose quietly from the celebration banquet and found my way to the awaiting small van to speed me and my fellow democrat legislators back to the LegCo building.

I remember it was still drizzling; we went up the darkened stairs and corridors to the balcony of this building which has grown so familiar to us and yet felt so strange at that hour. Below in the streets all around crowds had gathered expectantly. And we made our farewell to them then. We pledged to continue to fight for democracy and defend the rule of law, and to return when legitimate election returned for the Legislative Council. (more…)