Former chief justice Beverley McLachlin to step down from controversial Hong Kong court

The court was established in July 1997 to replace the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London as the highest appellate court in the former British colony

Former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada Beverley McLachlin has announced her retirement from the controversial Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.

McLachlin, 80, joined the court in 2018. She said she'll be stepping down from the bench to spend more time with her family when her term ends on July 29, 2024.

"It has been a privilege serving the people of Hong Kong," McLachlin said in a media statement. "I continue to have confidence in the members of the court, their independence and their determination to uphold the rule of law."

The court was established in July 1997 to replace the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London as the highest appellate court in the former British colony, now a special administrative region of China.

The court can have up to 30 non-permanent judges at any one time. At present there are three non-permanent Hong Kong judges and 12 non-permanent common law judges, including McLachlin.