Hong Kong top judge denies ‘any form of interference’ by Beijing over city’s judicial independence
- Geoffrey Ma, who is set to retire in January, issued statement in wake of news report suggesting he was battling pressure from central government
- The city’s judiciary has found itself frequently under fire from both sides of the political divide over rulings related to anti-government protests
Hong Kong’s top judge, Geoffrey Ma Tao-li, has dismissed suggestions he has experienced interference from Beijing over the city’s judicial independence, including the appointment of judges.
In a statement on Wednesday, Ma said he had not encountered “any form of interference” from the mainland during his term as chief justice, a post he took up 10 years ago.
Ma’s statement came in response to a Reuters news report on Tuesday that cited “people close to” Ma as saying he had been forced to contend with Communist Party officials who believed the rule of law could be used as a tool to preserve one-party rule.
The report also cited “friends and former colleagues” of Ma who said he was showing signs of strain from the job, including having to continually defend the integrity of the courts. It also said unnamed judges had expressed concern that Beijing could intervene in the selection of judges in Hong Kong, where there is currently an opening on the top court.
Ma discounted those suggestions.
“Since taking office in 2010, the Chief Justice has not at any stage encountered or experienced any form of interference by the mainland authorities with judicial independence in Hong Kong, including the appointment of judges,” he said in the statement.