Photo taken on Nov. 2, 2019 shows rioters at the Causeway Bay area in Hong Kong, south China. (Xinhua)

Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government Teresa Cheng pointed out on Sunday that the violence and vandalism in recent months sparked a crisis of confidence of the rule of law in Hong Kong.

In a blog article published on the website of the HKSAR government's Department of Justice, Cheng said that the so-called "justice lawbreaking" or "civil disobedience" is never justified under the law. "I urge all of you not to engage in any illegal activities."

She said that there are suggestions that deliberate lawbreaking might be considered to achieve objectives, however, this would bring a wrong concept of the rule of law. The escalated violence and vandalism in the last few months have also undermined the perception of the rule of law among the public.

"Our rule of law has been highly regarded, and such an achievement was not easy to come by. We should all join hands to cherish and safeguard our rule of law," she pointed out.

The secretary for justice stressed that abiding by the law is one of the many obligations that ought to be observed by the public. Law exists in practice but it should not only be practised by lawyers, judges and governments. More importantly, the rule of law should be observed and respected by the community as a whole.

The government would continue to be strongly committed to upholding the rule of law, she said.