The deputy president of Britain’s Supreme Court, Lord Patrick Hodge, has been named as the replacement for James Spigelman on Hong Kong’s top court after the Australian judge resigned following new national security laws imposed by Beijing.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam accepted the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission’s advice to appoint Hodge as a non-permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal on Monday.
Hodge will join 13 other judges from the UK, Australia and Canada on the court established after Hong Kong’s handover to China from Britain in 1997.
“The presence of these esteemed non-permanent judges manifests the judicial independence of Hong Kong, helps maintain a high degree of confidence in our legal system, and allows Hong Kong to maintain strong links with other common law jurisdictions,” Lam said.
