By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-09-30 06:34:35 | Updated at 2024-09-30 09:40:32
3 hours ago
An 86-year-old British judge of Hong Kong’s top court has stepped down at the end of his term, becoming the fifth foreign justice to leave the city’s apex court this year.
But the judiciary issued assurances that the Court of Final Appeal’s operations would not be affected by recent personnel changes despite its steady caseload.
Nicholas Addison Phillips, a non-permanent judge of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal since 2012, decided not to extend his term which ended on Monday, citing “personal reasons”, according to the judiciary.
“He indicated recently that he did not wish to have his term of appointment extended upon its expiry on 30 September 2024 due to personal reasons,” it said in a written reply to the Post.
The judiciary highlighted that Phillip’s departure would not affect its daily operations, while extending gratitude to the outgoing judge’s “valuable contribution” to the work of the Court of Final Appeal, and his support for the rule of law in Hong Kong over his 12-year tenure.
