Receiving suspicious letters: HK government never condones intimidation of judges and judicial officers

Criminal intimidation against judges and judicial officers is a serious offense and law enforcement agencies will leave no stone unturned in bringing the culprit to justice, the Hong Kong Department of Justice said.

The department issued the statement on Tuesday (Nov. 23) in response to threatening letters received by the Judiciary.

It stressed that intimidation against judges and judicial officers is despicable and heinous, adding that the situation has become serious recently.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government strongly deplores such illegal acts which are blatant defiance of the law and undermine the rule of law. Law enforcement agencies will leave no stone unturned in bringing the culprit to justice.

The statement pointed out that Basic Law Article 85 guarantees that the courts of the Hong Kong SAR shall exercise judicial power independently, free from any interference.

In exercising their judicial power, judges must take into account the applicable law and evidence. Their judgments set out the full reasons for arriving at the decision.

This is in accord with the basic principle that judges are to decide cases according to the law impartially and independently.

Those who turn a blind eye to the reasons of the court’s rulings, and act unlawfully with an attempt to exert undue influence on judges based merely on their own likings on the outcomes of cases not only reveal their ignorance, cowardice, and disregard of the law but will also be futile.

The department emphasized that members of the public should not break the law and offenders have to bear legal consequences.