Exclusive | Don’t undermine Hong Kong’s rule of law by politicising presence of foreign judges, ex-justice minister Elsie Leung cautions Western countries
- City’s first secretary for justice advises judges from other common law jurisdictions working in Hong Kong to stay above the fray
- Veteran pro-Beijing stalwart also defends the drastic overhaul of Hong Kong’s electoral system approved last week by China’s top legislative body
Former justice minister Elsie Leung Oi-sie has cautioned Western governments against undermining Hong Kong’s rule of law by politicising the presence of foreign judges in the city and pressuring them to quit.
The city’s first secretary for justice advised judges from other common law jurisdictions working in Hong Kong to stay above the fray, pointing out that they were free to express disagreements with any government stance through dissenting rulings.
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China’s top legislative body passes sweeping Hong Kong electoral reforms
She argued that Beijing remained committed to the city’s democratic development despite the controversial shake-up of its entire political structure to ensure that only those deemed to be “patriots” would get to be elected to office or govern Hong Kong in any way.
