HONG KONG: Two British judges have resigned from Hong Kong‘s prime court docket, a few week after a landmark verdict that convicted 14 outstanding democratic activists of subversion, amid a nationwide safety crackdown on dissent within the monetary hub.
In an announcement on Thursday, the Hong Kong judiciary mentioned two outstanding British judges, Lawrence Collins and Jonathan Sumption, had tendered their resignations from town’s Courtroom of Ultimate Enchantment (CFA), the place they served as non-permanent judges.
“I’ve resigned from the Courtroom of Ultimate Enchantment due to the political state of affairs in Hong Kong, however I proceed to have the fullest confidence within the court docket and the entire independence of its members,” Collins was quoted as telling the Monetary Instances.
Sumption confirmed to Reuters he had resigned and mentioned he would make an announcement subsequent week. Collins provided no instant response to a Reuters request for remark.
The presence of prime international jurists on Hong Kong’s prime court docket has lengthy been seen as a logo of the rule of regulation that underpins town’s worldwide picture.
Hong Kong’s Chief Justice Andrew Cheung mentioned he famous the resignations with remorse.
“All judges and judicial officers will proceed to abide by the judicial oath and administer justice in full accordance with the regulation, with out concern or favor, self-interest or deceit,” Cheung mentioned in an announcement on Friday.
Cheung mentioned town’s prime court docket now has 4 native non-permanent judges and eight non-permanent judges from different widespread regulation jurisdictions, together with two abroad judges appointed final yr and this Could.
On Friday, the Hong Kong Bar Affiliation mentioned it “strongly believes that their resignations won’t have an effect on the power of our apex court docket to discharge its judicial features”.
It additionally expressed “each confidence” within the independence of Hong Kong’s judicial system.
The resignations swell the variety of British jurists who’ve severed ties to Hong Kong’s highest court docket amid a years-long crackdown on dissent underneath a China-imposed nationwide safety regulation in 2020 following mass pro-democracy protests.
In a separate assertion of remorse on the resignations, Hong Kong’s chief government, John Lee, mentioned the brand new regulation had helped town transition from “chaos to order”.
Robert Reed, who resigned from the CFA in 2022, mentioned on the time his continuation would have appeared to endorse an administration “which has departed from values of political freedom and freedom of expression.”
Britain, which handed Hong Kong again to China in 1997, has mentioned the safety regulation that punishes offences corresponding to subversion with phrases of as much as life in jail has been used to curb dissent and freedom.
Lots of the metropolis’s democratic campaigners have been arrested, detained, or compelled into exile, civil society teams have been shuttered and liberal media shops compelled to shut.
Final week, 14 pro-democracy activists had been discovered responsible and two acquitted within the landmark subversion trial that critics say additional undermined town’s rule of regulation and its fame as a world monetary hub.
The verdicts in Hong Kong’s greatest trial in opposition to the democratic opposition got here greater than three years after police arrested 47 democratic activists in daybreak raids on properties throughout town.
Chinese language and Hong Kong authorities say the nationwide safety regulation is critical and has introduced stability.
The presence of international judges in Hong Kong is enshrined within the Fundamental Legislation, the mini-constitution that ensures the territory’s freedoms and intensive autonomy underneath Chinese language rule.
These embody the continuation of Hong Kong’s widespread regulation traditions cast through the colonial period.
Three British judges nonetheless sit as non-permanent abroad judges on the CFA, along with these from Canada and Australia, each widespread regulation jurisdictions.
In an announcement on Thursday, the Hong Kong judiciary mentioned two outstanding British judges, Lawrence Collins and Jonathan Sumption, had tendered their resignations from town’s Courtroom of Ultimate Enchantment (CFA), the place they served as non-permanent judges.
“I’ve resigned from the Courtroom of Ultimate Enchantment due to the political state of affairs in Hong Kong, however I proceed to have the fullest confidence within the court docket and the entire independence of its members,” Collins was quoted as telling the Monetary Instances.
Sumption confirmed to Reuters he had resigned and mentioned he would make an announcement subsequent week. Collins provided no instant response to a Reuters request for remark.
The presence of prime international jurists on Hong Kong’s prime court docket has lengthy been seen as a logo of the rule of regulation that underpins town’s worldwide picture.
Hong Kong’s Chief Justice Andrew Cheung mentioned he famous the resignations with remorse.
“All judges and judicial officers will proceed to abide by the judicial oath and administer justice in full accordance with the regulation, with out concern or favor, self-interest or deceit,” Cheung mentioned in an announcement on Friday.
Cheung mentioned town’s prime court docket now has 4 native non-permanent judges and eight non-permanent judges from different widespread regulation jurisdictions, together with two abroad judges appointed final yr and this Could.
On Friday, the Hong Kong Bar Affiliation mentioned it “strongly believes that their resignations won’t have an effect on the power of our apex court docket to discharge its judicial features”.
It additionally expressed “each confidence” within the independence of Hong Kong’s judicial system.
The resignations swell the variety of British jurists who’ve severed ties to Hong Kong’s highest court docket amid a years-long crackdown on dissent underneath a China-imposed nationwide safety regulation in 2020 following mass pro-democracy protests.
In a separate assertion of remorse on the resignations, Hong Kong’s chief government, John Lee, mentioned the brand new regulation had helped town transition from “chaos to order”.
Robert Reed, who resigned from the CFA in 2022, mentioned on the time his continuation would have appeared to endorse an administration “which has departed from values of political freedom and freedom of expression.”
Britain, which handed Hong Kong again to China in 1997, has mentioned the safety regulation that punishes offences corresponding to subversion with phrases of as much as life in jail has been used to curb dissent and freedom.
Lots of the metropolis’s democratic campaigners have been arrested, detained, or compelled into exile, civil society teams have been shuttered and liberal media shops compelled to shut.
Final week, 14 pro-democracy activists had been discovered responsible and two acquitted within the landmark subversion trial that critics say additional undermined town’s rule of regulation and its fame as a world monetary hub.
The verdicts in Hong Kong’s greatest trial in opposition to the democratic opposition got here greater than three years after police arrested 47 democratic activists in daybreak raids on properties throughout town.
Chinese language and Hong Kong authorities say the nationwide safety regulation is critical and has introduced stability.
The presence of international judges in Hong Kong is enshrined within the Fundamental Legislation, the mini-constitution that ensures the territory’s freedoms and intensive autonomy underneath Chinese language rule.
These embody the continuation of Hong Kong’s widespread regulation traditions cast through the colonial period.
Three British judges nonetheless sit as non-permanent abroad judges on the CFA, along with these from Canada and Australia, each widespread regulation jurisdictions.
