| Chief Justice of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal | |
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| 香港終審法院首席法官 | |
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| Style | The Honourable (尊貴的) (formal) |
| Nominator | Chief Executive |
| Appointer | Legislative Council |
| Term length | Tenure until the age of 70[a] |
| Constituting instrument | Hong Kong Basic Law |
| Inaugural holder | Andrew Li |
| Formation | 1 July 1997; 28 years ago (1997-07-01) |
| Salary | HK$ 411,500 (monthly) |
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| Politics andgovernment ofHong Kong |
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Court of Final Appeal
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| Traditional Chinese | 香港終審法院首席法官 | ||||||||
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Thechief justice of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal, sometimes informally known as thechief justice of Hong Kong, is the head of theJudiciary of Hong Kong and the president of theCourt of Final Appeal.[1] The chief justice is one of four permanent members of the Court.[2] DuringBritish rule between 1843 and 1997, the head of the Hong Kong Judiciary was the chief justiceof the Supreme Court of Hong Kong; that position became thechief judge of the High Court in 1997.
The chief justice is appointed by thechief executive on the recommendation of theJudicial Officers Recommendation Commission, subject to the endorsement of theLegislative Council.[3]
The first chief justice of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal wasAndrew Li, who served for over 13 years.
The chief justice is the president of the Court of Final Appeal, and is charged with the administration of the Judiciary and often acts as its spokesperson.[1] He is assisted by the court leaders of the lower courts for judicial administration (such as dealing with staffing, promotions, or public complaints), namely thechief judge of the High Court,chief district judge, and thechief magistrate. In hearing and determining an appeal, the Court will consist of five judges, with the chief justice sitting at the middle of the bench. However, the chief justice enjoys no higher authority than other permanent or non-permanent judges of the court when it comes to judicial decisions.[4]
The office of chief justice is second only to thechief executive of Hong Kong in theHong Kong order of precedence. In the case of animpeachment of achief executive of Hong Kong, the chief justice presides over the trial as provided by theHong Kong Basic Law. The chief justice is also the chairman ex-officio of theJudicial Officers Recommendation Commission which makes recommendations to fill a variety of judicial roles, and also determines the elevation of junior barristers tosenior counsel status.
The chief justice resides at the Chief Justice's House, also known as the Clavadel, at 18 Gough Hill Road, The Peak. It was built in 1893.[5] The chief justice is also chauffeured in a government vehicle with the license plate "CJ".
Attached to the office of the chief justice is a Judiciary administrator, who assists the chief justice in the overall administration of the Judiciary. Being the head of the Judiciary Administration, they have to ensure that proper support is provided to judges and judicial officers in the administration of justice, and that court operation is being carried out effectively and smoothly.
| # | Name | Term of office | Tenure length | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alice Tai Yuen-ying,GBS, JP | 1 July 1997 | 31 March 1999 | 1 year and 274 days | Andrew Li |
| 2 | Wilfred Tsui Chi-keung | 15 June 1999 | 14 June 2005 | 6 years and 0 days | |
| 3 | Emma Lau Yin-wah,JP | 15 June 2005 | 16 July 2020 | 15 years and 32 days | |
| 4 | Esther Leung Yuet-yin,JP | 20 July 2020 | Incumbent | 5 years and 209 days | Geoffrey Ma |
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