Hong Kong's rule of law in safe hands, says judge
It's fiercely independent and frighteningly intellectual, says judge in right-of-abode case where referral to Beijing is being called for
Hong Kong's judiciary will remain as independent and well-respected as it is today regardless of what cynics may say, according to a top judge.
Mr Justice Michael Hartmann did not specify which cynics as he highlighted the judiciary's critical role in Hong Kong's post-1997 prosperity.
Now a non-permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal following his retirement last July, Hartmann was one of the five judges in the domestic helpers' recent right-of-abode challenge.
The judges' decision is still pending. Their verdict could have an impact on the residency rights of children born in Hong Kong to mainland parents. The judges were also requested by the government's counsel to refer issues in the case to Beijing.
Writing in this month's Hong Kong Lawyer, published by the Law Society, Hartmann said: "Hong Kong is able to boast a very strong judiciary. We have a number of judges who would grace any court in the world. There are a number whose intellectual prowess is formidable, frighteningly so.
"But, in my view, what is most important (indeed critical) is the fact that across the board our judges have a fierce sense of independence allied to a desire to do justice according to law. While those characteristics remain, passed from one generation of judges to the next, we need have no concerns.