The Judiciary said two non-permanent judges of the Court of Final Appeal – Lord Collins of Mapesbury and Lord Sumption, both from the UK – have tendered their resignations.

In a statement, Chief Justice Andrew Cheung of the Court of Final Appeal “notes with regret” the resignations. He said overseas non-permanent judges, including Lords Collins and Sumption, have made valuable contributions to the top court over the years, and that the Judiciary is committed to upholding the rule of law and judicial independence in Hong Kong.

The Chief Executive, John Lee, also expressed regret at the resignations. Lee noted that Lord Collins had stated that he continued to "have the fullest confidence in the Court and the total independence of its members."

Meanwhile, the Secretary for Justice, Paul Lam, said the Department of Justice expresses regret at the judges' resignations, but was grateful for their past contributions.

Lord Collins has been a non-permanent judge of Hong Kong’s highest court since 2011, Lord Sumption since 2019.

With the pair’s resignations, there are four Hong Kong non-permanent judges and eight non-permanent judges from other common law jurisdictions at the Court of Final Appeal, with Justice Allsop from Australia the most recent appointee earlier this year.

The maximum number of non-permanent judges is 30.
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Last updated: 2024-06-07 HKT 03:22