The law of Hong Kong is based on the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. The constitutional framework for the legal system is provided by the Hong Kong Basic Law. Under the principle of ‘one country, two systems’, the legal framework of Hong Kong is based on the English common law, supplemented by local legislation. The statute law is collected in a compilation called the Laws of Hong Kong. As a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, the Hong Kong legal system is significantly different from that of the People's Republic of China (PRC). However, a small number of PRC laws, such as those involving national emblems and symbols, apply in Hong Kong by virtue of stipulations in Article 18 and Annex III of the Basic Law. They apply in Hong Kong by the Hon