Hong Kong's outgoing Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma says at his farewell press conference today (Jan. 5) that he has not been pressured by HKSAR government or China's central government. Ma says skeptics should look at objective facts before drawing conclusions on this matter.
He points out that his mission during his term of office is to uphold the rule of law in HK, and the judges and courts in HK are handling cases in accordance with the Basic Law and the judicial oath.
Ma stresses it's important for HK to have judicial independence as enshrined in three articles of the Basic Law.
Regarding recent calls for judicial reforms, Ma says that he is not against such appeals, but people should come up with more details about their ideas and reasons for reform, and the judiciary is always willing to consider ways to improve.
As for the impact of the implementation of the national security law, Ma says that the courts handle national security cases the same way they treat all other criminal and civil cases. It is the legal grounds that they base on to make a decision, not political issues, Ma says.
He adds that the rule of law is the cornerstone of society, and hopes that the public respect the judicial system and the rule of law. He says that anyone can comment or criticize the work of the courts if they are well-founded and have proper reasons to do so.
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