Neville Sarony June 15, 2021 08:52
‘Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary” (Niebuhr)
One measure of the legacy of a Chief Justice of Hong Kong is the quality of those whom he persuades to accept a judicial appointment.
Within Hong Kong’s domestic environment that means persuading barristers to give up a lucrative practice at the Bar for the benefit of the community at large.
In terms of the Court of Final Appeal (CFA) persuading the common law world’s Supreme Courts to consent to their brightest and best to serve a stint here in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Minister Warns Against Oblivious Criticism of China msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
EDITORIAL: In praise of ‘the last wall’
Chinese social media users took great delight in the scenes of rioters breaking into the US Capitol building on Wednesday, which they were allowed to see. It is too bad that they are unlikely to have been able to read or hear about another incident earlier that day, Hong Kong Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma’s (馬道立) final appearance on the bench, when he delivered a second strong defense of the rule of law and judicial independence in the territory in as many days.
Ma’s words carried even more resonance as they came just hours after more than 1,000 police officers were deployed across Hong Kong to arrest 53 democracy advocates, former lawmakers and academics for contravening the National Security Law by organizing an unofficial primary in July last year to nominate opposition candidates for the Legislative Council elections in September, which were later postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.