Hong Kong’s High Court wrapped up closing arguments on Thursday in the closely watched national-security trial of media tycoon Jimmy Lai, ending more than 150 days of hearings that began in December 2023. After two weather-related delays, lawyers spent 10 days presenting final submissions before a three-judge panel led by Justice Esther Toh. Lai, the 77-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious material. The charges, brought under Beijing’s sweeping national security law imposed on the city in 2020, carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. The court did not specify when it will deliver a verdict, saying only that the decision will be issued “in good time.” Local media have reported that a ruling could come as early as October. The case has drawn sustained attention from foreign governments and rights groups, which view the proceedings as a barometer of judicial independence in the Chinese-ruled financial hub.