The judge also approved the appointment of Au's lawyer, citing the need to protect national security interests and a binding opinion issued by the city's national security committee, which is led by Macao Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai. Macao law allows judges to hold proceedings behind closed doors when the court and the security committee decide hearing a case publicly could harm national security. While Au's case has no precedent in Macao, Hong Kong has made over 400 arrests linked to acts alleged to endanger national security and convicted more than 180 people under a yearslong crackdown that began after Beijing imposed a national security law in 2020. “It’s much worse than Hong Kong,” Au Hon I said of her father's case. Macao lawyers need approval from designated judges to participate in proceedings considered necessary for national security protection and the requests are vetted by the security committee.