A white paper paving the way for justice reforms in the former British colony has said that judges should be ‘patriotic’. So controversial was the paper that it led to the resignation of the Hong Law Society president. But Lord Neuberger told Reuters: ‘At the moment I detect no undermining of judicial independence. If I felt that the independence of the judiciary in Hong Kong was being undermined then I would either have to speak out or I would have to resign as a judge’.

Patriotism explained

He also said that patriotism and judicial independence were not inconsistent, saying that judges can show patriotism by ‘an irrevocable and undiluted commitment to the rule of law’. Source: Financial Times