When it comes to Hong Kong, the great fear of the Americans and British is not that the city’s political and legal systems will fail, but that they will succeed. The shock resignation of UK Supreme Court president Lord Robert Reed and vice-president Lord Patrick Hodge from the Court of Final Appeal turned out to have been engineered by the British government. Go figure! When the pair first announced their joint resignations, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab expressed support for their decision, as if it was made all by themselves. But the latest six-monthly report submitted to the British parliament by Truss’ office inadvertently gives the game away. Truss wrote in the report: “[F]ollowing discussions with the deputy prime minister and lord chancellor and the president of the Supreme Court, it was agreed that it is no longer tenable for serving UK judges to sit on Hong Kong’s top court … [The] political and legal situation in Hong Kong has now deteriorated beyond the point where it is acceptable for serving UK judges to take part.” Hong Kong, Beijing condemn withdrawal of UK judges from city’s top court Referring to the national security law, the report continued: “Such laws are not aligned with UK values. By taking this decision, we are standing up for the principles of freedom and democracy.” It was the British government that engineered this dubious and underhanded act to undermine confidence in the local judiciary. Talk about political interference and motivation! Interestingly, to achieve maximum effect, Prime Minister Boris Johnson even took the time to explain the judges’ resignation in parliament. It was these same senior British leaders and judges who claimed there was too much political interference in Hong Kong’s judiciary. I dearly hope the two top judges will offer some insights and examples when the dust settles and they have safely departed communist and totalitarian Hong Kong. It would make for fascinating reading. What does UK judges’ exit show about respect for Hong Kong’s judiciary, government? Foreign or local, judges are, of course, free to quit. It’s too bad the two lords allowed their action to be exploited and politicised to the max by their own government. How bad can things be within the local judiciary? At least eight of the 10 remaining foreign judges at the Court of Final Appeal have declared they are staying put. However underhanded, the latest development will free up more seats for top local judges. It does make you wonder, though, who is showing ill will towards Hong Kong.