Macau | Sulu Sou hopeful Court of Final Instance can finally allow his suspension to be clarified

Macau (MNA) – Legislator Sulu Sou Ka Hou told Macau News Agency (MNA) that he hopes the Court of Final Instance (TUI) can finally make clear if courts can deliberate on Legislative Assembly decisions and that an assessment on the legality of the procedures that led to his suspension could be made.

This week the TUI declared it will make a ruling declaring if Macau courts can decide on the legality of the legislator’s suspension, after the Court of Second Instance refused to reverse the decision claiming that this was a political and not an administrative case and that the court, therefore, could not pronounce itself.

“From the beginning we wanted to make this appeal so that the independent judicial system it can clarify the procedures of the AL suspension […] Therefore we appealed in accordance to the law and we welcome the decision of the TUI, so we will submit the documents with our arguments next week,” Sulu Sou told MNA.

In case the TUI rules in favour of Sulu Sou’s appeal the TSI will have to rule to deliberate if the previous AL decision was in accordance with the law or not, with one of the defence’s main arguments being that the legislator wasn’t to defend himself during the proceeding.

The defence also argued that the TSI decision made public in February had ‘violated the principles of access to justice’ as well as the protection of rights, freedoms and guarantees.

“The denial of the right of defence was one of our main arguments I think me and other legislators are not very clear about the procedures,” he added.

On May 29 the Court of First Instance will also reveal its decision on the aggravated disobedience case put forward by police authorities against Sulu Sou and co-defendant Scott Chiang.

“We prefer not to make many comments on the oncoming court session but we’re confident that the judicial system can make a fair judgement in our trial,” the legislator told MNA.

Under the Macau criminal code aggravated disobedience can lead to a sentence of between 240 days in fines or a prison sentence of two years. In case a prison sentence of more than 30 days is handed down Sulu Sou could be stripped of his functions as legislator.