Hong Kong (Hansard, 15 February 1999)

§ Mr. Howard
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of the People's Republic of China concerning the independence of the Hong Kong legal system. [71316]

§ Mr. Fatchett
We have regularly made clear to the Chinese Government our views on the independence of the judiciary, including through the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group. We have recently made it clear that any move to restrict the independence of the judiciary would be a matter of serious concern.

§ Mr. Howard
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the status of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal. [71317]
587W

§ Mr. Fatchett
The 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong stipulates thatthe power of final judgement of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be vested in the Court of Final Appeal".
In the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region it is provided that a Court of Final Appeal shall be established with the power of final adjudication vested in it. The Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal was established by local ordinance in time for the return of sovereignty over Hong Kong to China.