Lai was found to have breached the terms of lease for the headquarters of his now defunct Apple Daily newspaper after concealing the operation of a consultancy that provided corporate secretarial services to private firms Lai controlled.Lai, who has been remanded in custody for almost two years, is also facing a trial under Hong Kong’s sweeping national security law.Lai, 74, is one of the most high-profile critics of Beijing charged under the law and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison on charges of colluding with foreign forces.Its independent judiciary and rule of law have long been deemed key to the city’s success as a global financial center – though many legal experts have expressed misgivings since the introduction of the security law, including two British judges who resigned earlier this year, saying the city had “departed from values of political freedom.”The city’s legal system typically allows overseas judges in the city’s courts, and lawyers from other common law jurisdictions can work on cases where their expertise is needed.However, cases under the national security law are handled by a dedicated branch of the Hong Kong police and designated national security judges, raising concern about Beijing’s potential influence on proceedings."