As Beijing increasingly flexes its muscle in Hong Kong, there have been growing concerns about judicial independence
It was an unusual assignment to start with, a retired chief justice of Canada sitting on the bench of Hong Kong’s highest court. The timing made it extraordinary.
“The law is very rigorously applied. It’s a very high level of judging,” she said in an interview Monday. “The court is independent.” McLachlin, who retired in 2017 as the longest-serving chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, is the first Canadian to sit on the court, which routinely brings in judges from countries with similar common-law systems. She was also one of the first two women to fill the role, along with Baroness Brenda Hale, outgoing president of the UK’s Supreme Court.
Last month, the foreign affairs committee of the UK’s House of Commons warned that sending British judges to Hong Kong could create a “reputational risk” if the country looks “complicit in supporting and participating in a system that is undermining the rule of law.” The committee recommended the government consult with Canada and other countries who also supply judges to the court.
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