Canadian judge to quit Hong Kong top appeals court next month

11/6/2024 7:21

        A Canadian judge who sits on Hong Kong's top appeals court announced on Monday she would step down next month when her term expires and said she still had confidence in court members and their independence.
        
        Beverley McLachlin made her announcement four days after two British judges on the court stepped down, the latest foreigners to leave the bench amid a years-long crackdown on dissent under a China-imposed national security law in 2020.
        
        McLachlin, repeatedly criticised by some Canadian media commentators for not stepping down earlier, said she had turned 80 and would leave on July 29 when her term expired.
        
        "It has been a privilege serving the people of Hong Kong. I continue to have confidence in the members of the Court, their independence, and their determination to uphold the rule of law," she said in a brief statement.