Australian judge James Spigelman steps down from top Hong Kong court

His departure comes amid alarm in local and international legal circles at Beijing's imposition of a national security law on the financial hub, which boasts an independent legal system based on the common law.

The National Security Legislation prohibits acts of treason, succession, or subversion against the Chinese government, punishing dissidents and pro-democracy campaigners. The laws have been widely condemned by Western governments including Australia, Great Britain, and the United States, which regard the legislation as a breach of the “one country two systems” model China agreed to uphold.A Polish immigrant, Mr Spigelman also served as Chairman of the ABC, finishing his five-year tenure in 2017.In 2013, he was appointed as a non-permanent judge on Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal and most recently served on the bench in March.

The rule of law in HongKong just like a joke. Now HK is rule by law and the law of CCP. OneCountryTwoSystemsIsDead. HongKong already become NewWestBerlin. No human rights in Hong Kong now. HongKong's just a police state NOW. StandWithHongKong FreeHongKong

Not surprised. How to survive in this broken system? Thanks ChineseCommunistParty for destroying everything in HongKong. Enough is enough

Carrie Lam loves HK but her sons are in overseas Australian Judge James worry about the NationalSecurityLaw so he resigned Who will u trust

He knows he will be a puppet of CCP if he stay in Judicial system of HongKong.

A vote of 'confidence' over Hong Kong's NationalSecurityLaw, judiciary and RuleOfLaw

There is not much power left, there may be a few fragmentary powers, but on the whole, the power is fragmented and not comprehensive enough. There is no guarantee that justice can be maintained. Dejection...

kerokero_HKer The World should say no to Tyranny! . Although facing the evil Chinazi, NationalSecurityLaw & PoliceBrutality, Hongkongers are not giving up! Sanction XiJinPing, CarrieLam, HKGov & CCP Officals! FreeHK SOSHK SAVE12HKYOUTHS StandWithHongKong AntiChinazi

hau_hk No matter how evil the CCP Chinazi NationalSecurityLaw are No matter how brutal the HKPolice is HKer are still fighting for justice, liberty & democracy 💪🏿😠 Hongkonger are not giving up! StandWithHongKong HongKong PoliceBrutality HumanitarianCrisis save12hkyouth

kerokero_HKer Hongkonger is under HumanitarianCrisis now :( Pls dont give up HK in this big crisis, HKer not surrender! Still fighting for justice, HumanRight & democracy! Dear world, StandWithHK! SOSHK FreeHK save12hkyouth HongKongNeedsHelp NationalSecurityLaw DefendingHongKong

kerokero_HKer How evil can the Chinazi Tyranny be? . Hongkonger well knew CCP China & HKPolice HKGov are evil & brutal Totalitarianism long ago.. HKer is still fighting, For justice, HumanRight & democracy! FreeHK Pls StandWithHongKong! Pls help! SAVE12HKYOUTH! SOSHK

kerokero_HKer How evil can the Tyranny be? No matter how evil CCP Chinazi are, how brutal HKPolice is, Hongkonger won’t give up! HKer still fighting for justice, liberty & democracy! Help pls! StandWithHongKong SAVE12HKYOUTH FreeHK PoliceBrutality HumanitarianCrisis HongKong

How evil can the Tyranny be? . As a Hongkonger, my dream is simple but difficult.. So difficult for HK to have justice, HumanRight, liberty & democracy.. But We’re still fighting! save12hkyouth No PoliceBrutality, evil CCP Chinazi Totalitarianism! DefendingHongKong

When judges loss their control over the judgment, the reason for staying become even more blurry. Regarding the NSL, pro Beijing judges have been assigned for future cases. Judges can be pre assigned like this, HK judicial system should no longer respected. Rule of law is 💀

Good move to cancel endorsement on Hong Kong’s now twisted common law system. With China’s system implanted under NationlSecurityLaw, Hong Kong no longer enjoys separation of power and hence independent judiciary. Others overseas judges still holding a role there should follow.

NSL threatening the judge to work for CCP, not for justice. It's absolutely the interference of NSL.

this is why we say hk is dying

Rule of law is dead because of CCP China. Please stop CCP's human rights abuses. StandWithHongKong

The day after CarrieLam said judiciary independence does not exist in hongkong China

With so many unreasonable sentence and judgements these days in HK, such resignation is also a kind of suppression and justice can no longer be found in HK. StandWithHongKong

Those in power have undermined the rule of law in Hong Kong, and now the law has become a tool for the regime to suppress dissidents. Those who choose to stay will only become puppets or suffer political persecution. Leaving may be a better choice😩

ALL foreign judges should resign to tear down any remaining veil of Rule of Law. Investors can then give fair assessment on the risks they are facing in this former financial hub. Politicians can finally be done with distracting Hongkongers with such delusion. ACCELERATIONISM.

It is unsurprising that any judge who want to maintain just will step down, because the national security law utterly destroy judicial system, the judge need to adhere to the China’s law even if it is ungrounded. Hong Kong is completely controlled by CCP, rule of law is gone.

maybe it represents the law in Hong Kong is dead and the judge cannot accept to work for it anymore

Official confirmation of one of the top judges in the common law world that RuleOfLaw is no more post NationalSecurityLaw. FreeHK freejimmylai FreeAgnes save12hkyouth

The resigning foreign judge reveals that the judicial system of Hong Kong is abnormal. Even the judge is afraid of the national security law.

It is easy to understand his decision, I don't believe any good and professional Judge would like to be a Rubber stamp in Hong Kong court. StandWithHongKong NationalSecurityLaw hkprotest

The reason is that he is a human being. And he still has conscience. HK

Smart When the legal system has already been destroyed by CCP,no reason for you to keep taking part of it

Bad news for HK but good choice for him.

It is very sad for HongKong to have judiciary system ruined piece by piece and everything feels like gone with the wind!

Resign before being forced to sign ‘illegal’ legal documents I guess

CCP blatantly killed off HK judiciary, separation of powers, freedom & signed Intl. treaty, by the impose of Orwellian NationalSecurityLaw! Judges w/conscience & critical thinking just can't serve this Gov, leaded by officials who r on the sanctioned list w/terrorists...

Never mind. The Chinese Government is gonna replace all judges with its own people anyway in the future, so that they could just punish the dissidents so easily. HongKong CCP

The resignation is alarming as the newly-imposed National Security Law can't be trusted. HongKongProtests

That means the beginning of the death of democracy, liberty, freedom and human dignity. Communist tyranny will come to every country if we don't act now. StandWithHongKong save12hkyouths

Got out before the system disintegrates in the fist of a dictatorship. Wise.

Hong Kong courts have lost its functions. China has right to interfere the judges’ decision whenever it wants. Hong Kong courts are now dominated by CCP. No more juridical independence.

Make sense

It’s difficult for Hongkongers to believe judicial independence in hk. Law has become a tool for ccp to oppress democrats. At least 25 people have been arrested,for alleged crimes as benign as possessing pro-independence flags,up to allegations of foreign collusion. That’s crazy.

Rule of law is just a joke in Hong Kong now. Wise choice and all the best!

Nation Security Law actually is a monster that’s never connecting with international . It can’t be accepted by civilised and legal societies.

because rule of law no longer exists in Hong Kong and the judges know they can not attain an impartial position

Judicial independence is a joke. The Gov has denied separation of powers. Now the judiciary is blatantly interfered.

Judicial independence is a joke. The Gov has denied separation of powers, therefore the judiciary is blatantly interferd.

StandWithHongKong Sadly I can see HK sink even faster.

Thank you for the contributions to Hong Kong. Stay Safe.

If I were Mr Spigelman, I would be disappointed to see the legislation system has been eroded. An assailant was hailed as someone who “loves society deeply” by a HK judge and he could still on bail for pending. That's insane. The law of HK is just a joke. StandWithHongKong

Nowadays in Hk, law is just a tool for political persecution instead of manifestation of justice. Judges are forced to become the accomplice of oppressor so resignation will be a wise choice to decouple with the tyrannical regime.

This senior judge in HongKong made a very correct decision. In fact, because of the Hong Kong National Security Law, anyone’s situation is very dangerous. Since he cannot continue maintain justice in Hong Kong, so he had to leave to keep himself safe which is very sad

This says a lot about the situation in Hong Kong.

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