Two British judges have resigned from Hong Kong’s highest court over a pro-China crackdown on dissent

Two British judges have resigned from the Hong Kong High Court over a pro-China crackdown on dissent in the city.

Lord Jonathan Sumption, 75, and Lord Lawrence Collins, 83, said they resigned from the Hong Kong Court of Appeal this week.

The ruling came after The Independent reported that judges were paid £40,000 including flights, accommodation and travel expenses to sit on the court for a maximum of a month. Lord Sumption and Lord Collins are two of five British judges – all of whom have retired from their British posts – listed as foreign non-permanent judges of the Court of Final Appeal who could be chosen to rule on cases at any time.

Lord Collins, who has held the position since 2011, cited the “political situation” in Hong Kong as his reason for stepping down from the court. Said by Lord Sumption, who was appointed to the court in 2019 Independent He is expected to make a statement regarding his resignation next week.

Lord Collins said Independent: “I resigned from the Court of Appeal due to the political situation in Hong Kong, but I still have full confidence in the court and the complete independence of its members.”

British judges have served on the court indefinitely since 1997 as part of the deal under which Britain returned the city to China. This was intended to help maintain the rule of law, provide expertise to local lawyers and reassure businesses and financial markets.

Human rights groups have criticized Western judges for continuing to serve on Hong Kong’s Supreme Court, which still includes judges from Britain, Canada and Australia. Since massive pro-democracy protests in 2019, Hong Kong has held more than 1,800 political prisoners as part of a crackdown on dissent. This situation has escalated since the city’s pro-Beijing legislature passed a national security law in 2020, although British judges cannot rule on national security matters.

The Hong Kong Freedom Committee Foundation has already accused Western judges of “giving prestige to a justice system that has been undermined and co-opted by Beijing.”

Last week, a Hong Kong court found 14 pro-democracy activists guilty of sedition charges under a national security law, in what Amnesty International described as an “almost complete purge” of political opposition in the city.

In 2022, the UK’s two most senior current judges, Supreme Court justices Lord Robert Reed and Lord Patrick Hodge, resigned from the Hong Kong Court of Appeal on the grounds that continuing to serve there would indicate support for the pro-Beijing Hong Kong administration.

In a statement at the time, Lord Reed said on behalf of himself and Lord Hodge: “In consultation with the Government, I have concluded that High Court judges cannot continue to sit in Hong Kong.

“He appears to be supporting an administration that has moved away from the values ​​of political freedom and free speech to which Supreme Court justices are deeply committed.”