Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong
| Chief Justice of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal | |
|---|---|
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| Style | The Honourable |
| Appointer | Chief Executive of Hong Kong with endorsement by the Legislative Council |
| Term length | Life tenure (until statutory retirement at age 65) |
| Inaugural holder | Andrew Li, 1 July 1997 |
| Formation |
Hong Kong Basic Law 1 July 1997 |
The Chief Justice of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal is the head of the Judiciary of Hong Kong and the chief judge of the Court of Final Appeal. The Chief Justice is one of four permanent members of the Court. During British rule between 1843 and 1997, the office was known as the Chief Justice of Hong Kong.
The Chief Justice acts as the chief administrative officer for the courts system, and in that capacity serves as the spokesperson for the judicial branch; he is assisted by the Chief Judge of the High Court, who is responsible for the administration of the High Court and is accountable to the Chief Justice. The office of Chief Justice is second only to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong in the Hong Kong order of precedence. In the case of an impeachment of a Chief Executive of Hong Kong, the Chief Justice presides over the trial as provided by the Hong Kong Basic Law.
The first Chief Justice of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal was Andrew Li. The second and incumbent Chief Justice is Geoffrey Ma.
The Court of Final Appeal is headed by the Chief Justice and comprises three permanent judges and a panel of non-permanent judges. In hearing and determining an appeal, the Court will consist of five judges, and the Court may, as required, invite a non-permanent judge from Hong Kong or another common law jurisdiction such as England and Wales to sit on the Court.
As of December 2008, there are 16 non-permanent judges, six from Hong Kong and ten from other common law jurisdictions.
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