The High Court was told that a sedition charge against Jimmy Lai should be dismissed as it was laid after the statutory time limit, as a long-awaited national security trial of the former media tycoon got under way on Monday.

National security judges Esther Toh, Susana D'Almada Remedios and Alex Lee presided over the hearing held at the West Kowloon Court.

Lai, the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, is accused of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiring to print seditious publications.

Senior counsel Robert Pang, representing Lai, argued that the charge over seditious publications was made after the statutory time frame. He noted that charges must be filed within six months of the offence being committed under section 11 of the Crimes Ordinance.

Pang said the Apple Daily newspaper published its final edition on June 24, 2021 and the charge would have expired on December 24 that year, but Lai was only brought to court for the first time four days later, on December 28.

He said there's "no jurisdiction for the court" as the prosecution was "out of time", arguing that the court should be stricter on the prosecution as the case involves press freedom and personal rights.

The case will continue on Tuesday and is expected to last 80 days.