Hong Kong courts set to reopen after coronavirus adjournments – but are not immune from political division
- After more than three months of adjourned proceedings, judiciary looks to work through backlog of cases
- But judges’ political leanings – real or imagined – are under fresh scrutiny
After two weeks of dwindling Covid-19 infection numbers, normal service will be resumed at Hong Kong’s courts from Monday.
But the city’s judicial system is creaking under the weight of a huge backlog of cases built up over more than three months of adjourned proceedings, along with the political strain arising from cases relating to the violent social unrest that erupted last year.
The appointment two weeks ago of a former Civic Party member as a permanent magistrate triggered another controversy. And analysts said more political storms could engulf the judiciary, which is not immune from the city’s increasingly polarised political atmosphere.
On April 17, the judiciary announced the appointment of nine permanent magistrates, including Peter Yu Chun-cheung. All the appointments, which took effect three days later, were made by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission.
The nine-member committee, which routinely puts names forward for such positions, includes judges, academics, the secretary for justice and the Bar Association chief.