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A former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, Beverly McLachlin, is stepping down from Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal, amid concerns about the city’s judicial independence. McLachlin’s resignation comes in the wake of other overseas judges leaving the court due to political pressures.
Jonathan Sumption, a British judge who recently resigned from the same court, cited a deteriorating rule of law in Hong Kong due to China’s influence. He described a growing “paranoia of the authorities” and a darkening political mood in the city. The presence of overseas judges was hoped to sustain the rule of law, but Sumption believes that hope is no longer realistic.
Overseas judges, including McLachlin and Sumption, have quit Hong Kong’s highest court in recent years. Hong Kong, once a British colony, has increasingly faced challenges to its judicial independence since returning to Chinese rule in 1997.
Rights groups and critics argue that China’s national security law in 2020 has eroded Hong Kong’s judicial independence and suppressed public dissent. Recent convictions of pro-democracy activists further highlight the challenges to political freedom in the city.
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