BIO

Dr. Yan-ho Lai, aka Eric, is a visiting researcher at the Dickson Poon School of Law of King's College London, a non-resident fellow at Georgetown Center for Asian Law (GCAL), an associate fellow at the Hong Kong Studies Hub of the University of Surrey, a co-convenor of Hong Kong Studies Association and a member of the Asian Civil Society Research Network. He received his Master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science as a Chevening Scholar in 2013 and his Ph.D in law at SOAS University of London in 2022 respectively. His main research focuses on socio-legal studies, legal profession and judicial politics in hybrid and authoritarian regimes, as well as international human rights laws and practices. He also studies national security, social movement, contentious politics and electoral integrity in Hong Kong and China. Lai is formerly a visiting fellow at the Centre for Comparative and Public Law at the University of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Law Fellow at GCAL. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Lai has been involved in civil society development and human rights advocacy since 2010. He writes on law and politics, electoral integrity, judicial activism, international human rights, and religious freedom in academic journals, newspapers, and popular literature.

​

My Academic Profile

• SOAS University of London: https://www.soas.ac.uk/staff/staff124908.php

• Center for Asian Law, Georgetown University Law Center: https://www.law.georgetown.edu/law-asia/about-us/faculty-and-staff/ 

• Hong Kong Studies Association: https://www.hongkongstudiesassociation.co.uk/p/about.html

• Researchgate.net: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yan_Ho_Lai

• ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-2038 

• Asian Civil Society Research Network: https://asiancivilsociety.com/network-members/europe/erik-lai/ 

Research Interests

• Law and Politics, Law and Social Movement, the Rule of Law, Authoritarianism, Electoral Integrity, China and Hong Kong Politics

Media Enquiry

• Opinion Columnist: Christian Times (Hong Kong), Citizen News (Hong Kong), Hong Kong Free Press, Initium Media, Inmedia.net, La Criox International, Lawfare, Ming Pao, South China Morning Post, The Diplomat, The Stand News, UCANEWS, USA Today

• Political Commentator: ABC News, AFP, Apple Daily, BBC News, BBC World, Channel TEN, Deutsche Welle, Nikkei Asia, Now TV (Hong Kong), Radio Free Asia, TBC, The Guardian, The Independent, Voice of America, Vox, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post