Bar Association Condemns Intimidation Against Judge

The Hong Kong Bar Association on Saturday condemned intimidation against a district court judge, saying such action cannot be tolerated and must be stopped.

It was reported that the office of District Court Judge Amanda Woodcock received a few threatening phone calls after she gave some of Hong Kong's most prominent pro-democracy campaigners new prison terms over an unauthorised protest on National Day in 2019.

In a statement, the Bar said judges must remain free from any interference in the performance of their judicial duties.

“Any threat made with intent to frighten or to put pressure on a judicial officer to decide cases one way or another is a serious assault on judicial independence,” it wrote.

“Such behaviour is an attack on the administration of justice and jeopardises the rule of law.”

The Bar said it condemned in the strongest possible terms such conduct.

On Friday, former legislators Albert Ho, Lee Cheuk-yan and Leung Kwok-hung and Civil Human Rights Front convenor Figo Chan received the harshest punishments – 18 months behind bars over the protest.

Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai, ex-lawmakers Cyd Ho and Yeung Sum, and former League of Social Democrats chairman Avery Ng were jailed for 14 months.

Former legislator Sin Chung-kai and activist Richard Tsoi received suspended jail terms.