Hong Kong officials stated that the new national security regulation, allowing certain cases to be handled under special procedures, will be used sparingly. The chief executive typically issues certification before trial.

Hong Kong’s new legislation allowing certain criminal cases to be handled under national security procedures is expected to be used only rarely, with the city leader typically issuing such certification before trial, security and justice officials have said. A Legislative Council subcommittee completed its scrutiny of the Safeguarding National Security (Procedural Matters) Regulation during a meeting on Thursday that lasted around two hours. The regulation empowers the chief executive to define....