Nothing ‘foreign’ about Hong Kong’s common law or its judges from overseas
Jessica Fernando says all of Hong Kong’s judges enforce universal norms and standards, and those starting a debate over foreign or local views are guilty of playing on emotions
After the second world war, the international community changed. The common law system in Hong Kong was brought here by colonialism, but it also changed: we adopted the international norms and standards of human rights. We now have a system we can be proud of.
Hong Kong has incorporated the covenants on civil and political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights, and the fundamental principles of justice and equity underpinning the common law. None of us should be above the law, and the law should treat us justly. These are not “foreign” values.
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There is no “foreign” justice and “local interpretations” of justice or human rights. The people who sell us such ideas are using our emotions against us.
There is no ‘foreign’ justice and ‘local interpretations’ of justice or human rights
The nationality of a judge is not important. The important point is that they put justice above all else.
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If we want to see what happens in countries where there are no more foreign judges and no more enforcement of international norms and standards, please look around Asia. See the former colonies that did not get the benefit of the kind of system we have here.