UK Judge Criticizes Hong Kong's Rule of Law

Jonathan Sumption, a British judge, and another British judge resigned from Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal. The resignations have sparked debate among lawyers about whether having foreign jurists on the top court still helps protect Hong Kong's international image after China imposed a national security law in 2020. Some argue that the resignations challenge this assumption. Sumption's decision came shortly after 14 people were found guilty of conspiracy to commit subversion, and he wrote in the Financial Times that the verdict was "symptomatic of a growing malaise" in Hong Kong. The Chief Executive of Hong Kong, John Lee, responded by suggesting that Sumption's actions were politically motivated.