ABSTRACT

This chapter focuses on the Hong Kong Chinese context, where the study of procedural justice and legitimacy is in its infancy. Drawing on social psychology, procedural justice theory argues that people's law-related conduct is associated with subjective assessments on how legal authorities treat them and other members of the public. Assessments of procedural justice can be further broken down into four factors: voice, neutrality, treatment with dignity and respect, and trustworthiness. Procedural justice ultimately enhances public cooperation and deference to legal authorities as it leads the public to view these authorities as legitimate. Two aspects of procedural justice, policy formation and policy implementation, positively influenced Muslim Americans' perception of the legitimacy of the police. The study of procedural justice and legitimacy has gained limited traction in Hong Kong, and the focus has been on young people and defence lawyers. The study of juvenile delinquency and young offenders has always been a mainstay of criminological research in Hong Kong.