Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal
| Chief Justice of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal | |
|---|---|
| 香港終審法院首席法官 | |
| Style | The Honourable |
| Appointer | Chief Executive of Hong Kong with endorsement by the Legislative Council |
| Term length | Life tenure (until statutory retirement at age 70; this may be extended by 3-year periods for up to two terms, meaning retirement age could be 76) |
| Inaugural holder | Andrew Li, 1 July 1997 |
| Formation | Hong Kong Basic Law 1 July 1997 |
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|
Politics and government of Hong Kong |
Related topics  Hong Kong portal |
| Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal | |||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 香港終審法院首席法官 | ||||||||
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The Chief Justice of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal, sometimes informally known as the Chief Justice of Hong Kong, is the head of the Judiciary of Hong Kong and the chief judge of the Court of Final Appeal.[1] The Chief Justice is one of four permanent members of the Court.[2] During British rule between 1843 and 1997, the head of the Hong Kong Judiciary was the Chief Justice of Hong Kong; that position became the Chief Judge of the High Court in 1997.
The first Chief Justice of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal was Andrew Li, who served for over 13 years.
Role of the Chief Justice
The Chief Justice is the President of the Court of Final Appeal, and is charged with the administration of the Judiciary and often acts as its spokesperson.[1] He is assisted by the court leaders of the lower courts, namely the Chief Judge of the High Court, Chief District Judge, and the Chief Magistrate. In hearing and determining an appeal, the Court will consist of five judges. However, the Chief Justice enjoys no higher authority than other Permanent Judges of the court when it comes to judicial decisions.[3]
The office of Chief Justice is second only to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong in the Hong Kong order of precedence. In the case of an impeachment of a Chief Executive of Hong Kong, the Chief Justice presides over the trial as provided by the Hong Kong Basic Law. The Chief Justice is a member of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission and may make recommendations to fill a variety of judicial roles, and also determines the elevation of junior barristers to Senior Counsel status.
List
| № | Name | Term of office | Tenure length | Prior judicial offices | Higher education | Appointed by | Silk | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrew Li Kwok-nang, GBM 李國能 (born 1948) |
1 July 1997 | 31 August 2010 | 13 years and 62 days | Deputy District Judge (1982–85) Deputy High Court Judge (1991–97) |
University of Cambridge (MA, LLM) | Tung Chee-hwa | QC (1988) |
| 2 | Geoffrey Ma Tao-li, GBM 馬道立 (born 1956) |
1 September 2010 | Incumbent | 13 years and 260 days | Recorder of the Court of First Instance (2000–01) Judge of the Court of First Instance (2001–02) Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal (2002–03) Chief Judge of the High Court (2003–10) |
University of Birmingham (LLB) University of Law |
Donald Tsang | QC (1993) |
- Permanent Judge Andrew Cheung to replace Geoffrey Ma as Chief Justice on 11 January 2021
Residence
The Chief Justice resides at the Chief Justice's House, also known as The Clavadel, at 19 Gough Hill Road, The Peak. It was built in 1893.[4] The Chief Justice is also chauffeured in a government vehicle with the license plate "CJ".
Judiciary Administrator
Attached to the office of the Chief Justice is a Judiciary Administrator, who assists the Chief Justice in the overall administration of the Judiciary. Being the head of the Judiciary Administration, she has to ensure that proper support is provided to Judges and Judicial Officers in the administration of justice, and that court operation is being carried out effectively and smoothly.
| # | Name | Term of office | Tenure length | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alice Tai Yuen-ying, GBS, JP | 1 July 1997 | 31 March 1999 | 1 year and 274 days | Andrew Li |
| 2 | Wilfred Tsui Chi-keung | 15 June 1999 | 14 June 2005 | 6 years and 0 days | |
| 3 | Emma Lau Yin-wah, JP | 15 June 2005 | 16 July 2020 | 15 years and 32 days | |
| 4 | Esther Leung Yuet-yin, JP | 20 July 2020 | Incumbent | 3 years and 303 days | Geoffrey Ma |
See also
- Court of Final Appeal
- Permanent Judges of the Court of Final Appeal
- Chief Judge of the High Court of Hong Kong
- Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong
- Legal system of Hong Kong
References
- ^ a b Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Ordinance (Cap. 484), Section 6(2)
- ^ Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Ordinance (Cap. 484), Section 5(1)
- ^ "Hong Kong democrats raise concerns over gov'ts choice of new chief justice, Andrew Cheung". Hong Kong Free Press.
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