Hong Kong to tighten media access to land records, triggering concerns

Hong Kong lawmakers and the media industry have raised concerns about the authorities’ plan to tighten arrangements for journalists searching land records, with some legislators urging the government to explain operational details and streamline the application to support investigative reporting.

The Hong Kong Journalists Association voiced objections on Wednesday, after the government tabled eight pieces subsidiary legislation, including the Land Titles Regulation that covers land record search arrangements, at the Legislative Council for negative vetting.

Negative vetting involves enacting the law first and scrutinising it later. Most provisions, including the tightened search arrangements, will take effect in the first half of next year.

The association said authorities had not justified the changes and had not consulted the public beforehand, stressing that the arrangements would weaken the public’s power to monitor the property market.