Senior Judicial Appointments: Non-Permanent Hong Kong Judges of the Court of Final Appeal
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     The Chief Executive, Mr. Donald Tsang, has accepted the recommendations of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission (JORC) on the appointment of the Honourable Mr Justice Robert Tang Ching (Mr Justice Tang), the Honourable Mr Justice Frank Stock (Mr Justice Stock) and the Honourable Mr Justice Michael John Hartmann (Mr Justice Hartmann), serving Justices of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, as non-permanent Hong Kong judges to the Court of Final Appeal.  Subject to the endorsement of the Legislative Council, the Chief Executive will make the appointments under Article 88 of the Basic Law.

     Mr Tsang said, "I am pleased to accept the JORC's recommendations on the appointment of Mr Justice Tang, Mr Justice Stock and Mr Justice Hartmann as non-permanent Hong Kong judges to the Court of Final Appeal. The three judges are outstanding lawyers who have considerable experience in handling criminal and civil cases including constitutional cases. Their appointments will increase the number of non-permanent Hong Kong judges from three to six and will provide the much-needed flexibility in deployment to deal with the caseload of the Court of Final Appeal."

     Article 88 of the Basic Law provides that the Chief Executive shall appoint judges of the courts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the recommendation of an independent commission composed of local judges, persons from the legal profession and eminent persons from other sectors. The commission, the JORC, consists of the incumbent Chief Justice, the Honourable Andrew Li Kwok-nang, as Chairman, the Secretary for Justice, and seven other members (two judges, one barrister appointed after consultation with the Bar Council of the Hong Kong Bar Association, one solicitor appointed after consultation with the Council of the Law Society of Hong Kong and three persons not connected with the practice of law).

     Article 90 of the Basic Law provides that the Chief Executive shall obtain the endorsement of the Legislative Council on the appointments of the judges of the Court of Final Appeal. The Administration will seek the endorsement of the Legislative Council of the recommended appointments in due course.

     The curriculum vitae of the recommended appointees are at annex.

Ends/Thursday, April 8, 2010
Issued at HKT 15:06

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