Secretary for Justice Paul Lam has lodged a formal complaint to two lawyers' groups in the city – the Bar Association and the Law Society – against two of the eight national security suspects living overseas, accusing them of professional misconduct.

Lam accused Dennis Kwok and Kevin Yam, who are wanted for alleged national security offences, of seriously violating the code of practice and ethics of legal practitioners, especially when it came to upholding the honour and dignity of the profession.

He said the pair, being part of the legal sector, had attacked Hong Kong's judicial system with false accusations.

Lam pointed out that Kwok had advocated damaging the city's financial system and intended to interfere with judges hearing national security cases. Yam was accused of supporting foreign sanctions on judges and prosecutors, as well as their families.

Their actions had tarnished the sector's reputation and affected the confidence of others in the judicial system and the rule of law, Lam added.

The pair, along with Ted Hui, Nathan Law, Mung Siu-tat, Finn Lau, Anna Kwok and Yuan Gong-yi, are accused of crimes such as inciting secession. Police last week issued arrest warrants against them and offered a HK$1 million reward each for information leading to their arrest.

The Law Society confirmed in a statement that it had received a complaint against a solicitor for professional misconduct, and said it will investigate the case.

"The Law Society will initiate an investigation into the complaint in accordance with the relevant provisions under the Legal Practitioners Ordinance, as well as the complaints and discipline mechanism set out in the Hong Kong Solicitors' Guide to Professional Conduct," president Chan Chak-ming said.

Chan added the Law Society will handle the case "as soon as practicable" according to established procedures, and refer to a disciplinary tribunal for investigation if necessary.