Legal bodies confident towards judicial independence
Both the Bar Association and the Law Society on Tuesday expressed confidence towards Hong Kong's judicial independence, following an opinion piece by a former non-permanent judge of the city's top court. Lord Jonathan Sumption, who has resigned as a judge of the Court of Final Appeal, penned an article in the Financial Times which mentioned Hong Kong's rule of law and a recent ruling in a landmark subversion trial.  The Bar Association said the city has faced numerous challenges over the past few years and the judiciary's role has "never been more important".  "The [association] has every confidence in the independence of our judiciary and we urge the public to support the work of our judges and every effort to safeguard judicial independence and to uphold the rule of law in Hong Kong," it said.  "It is also important to appreciate that our judges can only decide cases on the basis of the legal arguments advanced and the evidence before them." The association added that it would not comment on specific cases, particularly those which are currently under judicial consideration.  On the retirement of Madam Justice Beverley McLachlin from the top court, the legal body expressed its gratitude towards the former Canadian top judge.  "We are grateful for her contributions to the rule of law and administration of justice in Hong Kong since she was first appointed to the [Court of Final Appeal] in 2018. We echo the sentiment in her statement regarding her confidence in the members of the court, their independence and their determination to uphold the rule of law in Hong Kong," it said. The Law Society also expressed confidence in the judiciary, with its new president, Roden Tong, highlighting its independence and the city's robust legal system.  When asked about Lord Sumption's opinion piece, Tong said legal professionals should refrain from making political comments. "I think as a legal professional, one should always remember that our duty to discharging our duties has to be apolitical – commenting simply from a legal perspective and not from any political lens," he said.