#Court #1C1S
The Times: British Judges in Hong Kong should resign together in demand for judicial independence
On March 15, 2021, The Times published an editorial titled “British Judges should resign from Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal”.
The editorial states that Beijing is suppressing Hong Kong’s freedom and is demanding that “patriots rule Hong Kong”. The UK has explicitly said that China has violated the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
According to the editorial, the reason why China has not removed the British judges in Hong Kong is only because Beijing wanted to maintain the status quo. They believe that the current judicial system provides a welcome gloss of legitimacy, so that Hong Kong can continue to serve as an international financial centre.
“With the illusion that they can deliver change from within the new system exploded, they should instead adopt a common position and resign together. They should insist, with one voice, that they will no longer lend their authority to a compromised system, and demand that independent justice be restored to Hong Kong.”
In a report published on the same day, The Times mentioned that Lord Neuberger’s agreement to remain a judge in Hong Kong for 3 more years brought controversy over “the role of the ten British judges on Hong Kong's court of final appeal”. The report quoted senior figures saying that the UK can protest against Beijing’s changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system by withdrawing the British judges serving in Hong Kong.
According to the published report, Lord Neuberger previously said that the time would come when it would be right for all foreign judges to quit the Hong Kong bench. In 2017, he spoke at the University of Hong Kong, saying that foreign judges are the “canaries in the mine”, harbinger of a crisis.
“So long as they are happy to serve on the court, then you can safely assume that all is well with the judicial independence and impartiality in Hong Kong.” He said, “but if they start to leave in droves, that would represent a serious alarm call.”
Source: Stand News; The Times #Mar16
#TheTimes #Editorial #BritishJudges
#JudicialIndependence #PoliticalOppression #Beijing
The Times: British Judges in Hong Kong should resign together in demand for judicial independence
On March 15, 2021, The Times published an editorial titled “British Judges should resign from Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal”.
The editorial states that Beijing is suppressing Hong Kong’s freedom and is demanding that “patriots rule Hong Kong”. The UK has explicitly said that China has violated the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
According to the editorial, the reason why China has not removed the British judges in Hong Kong is only because Beijing wanted to maintain the status quo. They believe that the current judicial system provides a welcome gloss of legitimacy, so that Hong Kong can continue to serve as an international financial centre.
“With the illusion that they can deliver change from within the new system exploded, they should instead adopt a common position and resign together. They should insist, with one voice, that they will no longer lend their authority to a compromised system, and demand that independent justice be restored to Hong Kong.”
In a report published on the same day, The Times mentioned that Lord Neuberger’s agreement to remain a judge in Hong Kong for 3 more years brought controversy over “the role of the ten British judges on Hong Kong's court of final appeal”. The report quoted senior figures saying that the UK can protest against Beijing’s changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system by withdrawing the British judges serving in Hong Kong.
According to the published report, Lord Neuberger previously said that the time would come when it would be right for all foreign judges to quit the Hong Kong bench. In 2017, he spoke at the University of Hong Kong, saying that foreign judges are the “canaries in the mine”, harbinger of a crisis.
“So long as they are happy to serve on the court, then you can safely assume that all is well with the judicial independence and impartiality in Hong Kong.” He said, “but if they start to leave in droves, that would represent a serious alarm call.”
Source: Stand News; The Times #Mar16
#TheTimes #Editorial #BritishJudges
#JudicialIndependence #PoliticalOppression #Beijing