The pool of foreign judges available to sit on cases before Hong Kong’s top court is shrinking. The latest departure, by a British judge, is the fifth this year.
Only six remain. This time, there was no controversy over the judge not renewing his three-year contract.
Nicholas Phillips said his decision was “personal, not political”. He is 86 years old.
The court will miss his experience and expertise. Phillips was the first president of the UK’s newly established Supreme Court in 2009.
He has been sitting as a non-permanent judge in Hong Kong since 2012. Foreign judges must have served on a high-level court elsewhere in the common law world to be eligible.
Visited 2 times, 1 visit(s) today
