CE Will Choose List Of Judges: Teresa Cheng

The Justice Secretary, Teresa Cheng, says she does not believe that the Chief Executive will get involved in naming judges for individual national security cases.

She was attempting to play down concerns that the expected national security law provision will undermine judicial independence.

Cheng says she believes the CE will simply make a list of judges who can handle such cases.

The minister said the Chief Executive already appointed judges on the basis of a committee's recommendations and all judges had to make rulings based on the law and evidence.

Earlier Civic Party lawmaker Dennis Kwok, who is also a barrister, said the idea that the Chief Executive could appoint judges to handle national security cases would damage the rule of law in Hong Kong.

“Under no circumstances would the Chief Executive decide on her own who should preside over a certain type of cases,” said Kwok, adding that such decisions are made on the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recruitment Commission and also by the Chief Justice.