Baroness Hale and Beverly McLachlin become first female judges to join Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal despite ‘national interest’ concerns
Pair will serve three-year terms despite concerns over same-sex beliefs and questions of where their loyalties will lie in matters of ‘national interest’
Two leading foreign judges who are vocal supporters of same-sex rights were appointed to Hong Kong’s highest court on Wednesday – with the resounding backing of the city’s lawmakers.
Sixty out of 62 lawmakers present at the Legislative Council said yes to Britain’s top judge Brenda Hale, and Canada’s former top judge Beverley McLachlin, becoming the first women to join the Court of Final Appeal (CFA).
The pair will begin their three-year terms in July, despite politicians continuing to question if foreign judges would uphold the national interest in politically sensitive cases.
In his opening remarks Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung praised Hale and McLachlin as “judges of eminent standing and reputation”, and said they would be invaluable additions to the list of non-permanent judges from other common-law jurisdictions.
Not everyone was convinced.