Hong Kong rule of law 'profoundly compromised', says British judge

11/6/2024 12:05

        The rule of law in Hong Kong is profoundly compromised in areas where the government has strong opinions, a British judge who resigned last week from the top Hong Kong appeals court said on Monday.
        
        Jonathan Sumption is one of two British judges who resigned shortly after a landmark verdict in which 14 prominent democratic activists were convicted for subversion amid a national security crackdown on dissent.
        
        Some lawyers say the resignations challenge the assumption, long held by some legal professionals, that having foreign jurists on the top court helps protect the city's international image after China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 in response to mass pro-democracy protests.
        
        Explaining his eventual decision to resign, Sumption said Hong Kong authorities were paranoid about political dissent.
        
        "Hong Kong, once a vibrant and politically diverse community is slowly becoming a totalitarian state. The rule of law is profoundly compromised in any area about which the government feels strongly," Sumption wrote in an editorial published on the Financial Times website.