Hong Kong authorities rebut claims from outgoing UK judge that rule of law is under threat

Government issues statement in response to Financial Times piece from Jonathan Sumption titled ‘The rule of law in Hong Kong is in grave danger’

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An outgoing UK judge has claimed Hong Kong’s courts are under pressure from Beijing. Photo: Jelly Tse

Published: 9:14am, 11 Jun 2024Updated: 4:52pm, 11 Jun 2024

The Hong Kong government has said it strongly disagrees with remarks from outgoing British judge Jonathan Sumption that the city’s rule of law is under threat, insisting that local courts are not “under any political pressure” from Beijing.

City authorities issued a 2,900-word statement on Tuesday morning in response to a Financial Times opinion piece from the departing Court of Final Appeal non-permanent judge titled “The rule of law in Hong Kong is in grave danger”.

The government also confirmed that Beverley McLachlin, 80, would retire from her position on the Court of Final Appeal once her term ended this summer, with the Canadian becoming the third non-permanent judge to announce their departure in a week.

Following Sumption’s opinion piece, Hong Kong authorities shot back at claims that local courts were under pressure.

“There is absolutely no truth that the courts are under any political pressure from central authorities or the [Hong Kong government] in the adjudication of national security cases or indeed any case of any nature; or that there is any decline in the rule of law in Hong Kong,” a government spokesman said.

“Anyone who suggested otherwise, no matter what the reasons or motives may be, would be utterly wrong,” he added, calling such claims “totally baseless” that “must be righteously refuted”.

Hong Kong, the only common law jurisdiction in China, is permitted to recruit judges from elsewhere under its mini-constitution. The tradition is seen as an indicator of confidence in the city’s rule of law.