Following the resignation of three senior foreign judges from the Court of Final Appeal last week, Lord Sumption made his remarks on Monday.
Lord Sumption stated to the news show, “I think all the judges on the court feel concerned about this. The problem in Hong Kong has been building up over the last four years.”
“I have reached the point eventually where I don’t think that my continuing presence on the court is serving any useful purpose.”
He said in an opinion piece in the newspaper on Monday that the rule of law in the city had been “profoundly compromised”.
The government of Hong Kong declared that Lord Sumption’s views were a “betrayal against Hong Kong’s judges” and that it “strongly disapproves” of them.
It emphasized statements made by the other departing judges that they continued to support the courts’ independence.
“I continue to have confidence in the members of the Court, their independence, and their determination to uphold the rule of law,” said Canadian judge Beverley McLachlin, who announced her resignation on Monday, citing her desire to spend more time with family.
