The Judge in charge of the Constitutional and Administrative Law List of the Court of First Instance (within the High Court) of Hong Kong, is the most important Law List in that court, given the far-reaching powers of interpreting the Hong Kong Basic Law. As such, the Judge in charge of this list is often considered to be the top judge of the lower court.
Description
The list receives a material public interest in Hong Kong due to the fact that it is the first point of contact for most contentious court cases around issues that have caused public discussion or social unrest, including being in charge of all judicial reviews. These include cases around the Legislative Council oath-taking controversy, the Umbrella Movement, and the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests. In addition, given the important nature of this position, the Judge entrusted with this role is often almost guaranteed to be elevated to the higher courts in the future.
So far, all Judges in this role have been promoted to at least the Court of Appeal, with many elevated to the Court of Final Appeal. Current justices of the Court of Final Appeal who were once the Judge in charge of this list include Chief Justice Andrew Cheung, permanent judge Johnson Lam and non-permanent justice Frank Stock. Former justices include Michael Hartmann.
List of Judges
| # | Name | Tenure | Promoted To (Most Senior Role) | Silk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sir Brian Richard Keith | 1997–99 | Justice of Appeal of the High Court (retired) | QC (1989) |
| 2 | Frank Stock, GBS | 1999–2000 | Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal | QC (1985) |
| 3 | Michael John Hartmann, GBS | 2000–08 | Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal (retired) | |
| 4 | Andrew Cheung Kui-nung, GBM | 2008–11 | 3rd Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal | |
| 5 | Johnson Lam Man-hon | 2011–12 | Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal | |
| 6 | Thomas Au Hing-cheung | 2012–19 | Justice of Appeal of the High Court | |
| 7 | Anderson Chow Ka-ming | 2019–21 | Justice of Appeal of the High Court | SC (2004) |
| 8 | Russell Adam Coleman | 2021– | SC (2006) |
References
- "Introduction to Judicial Review in Hong Kong".
- "In rare, 'significant' move, Hong Kong judiciary appoints two judges to hear legal challenges against anti-mask law".
- "High Court judge in oath-taking case no stranger to thorny political issues".