The Legislative Council (LegCo) has passed a resolution to extend Court of Final Appeal judge Roberto Ribeiro’s term – the apex court’s long-serving judge would otherwise be above the age limit for mandatory retirement.
The recommendation to extend the tenure of the 76-year-old was suggested by the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission. Chief Executive John Lee accepted the endorsement last month, expressing gratitude for his contributions.
“He has been highly praised as a ‘colossus’ in the legal world with a judicial reputation on par with that of the most eminent and experienced judges in the highest courts of major common law jurisdictions.” Lee said in a statement at the time.
Chief Secretary Eric Chan praised Ribeiro in his opening speech at the LegCo on Thursday, saying he demonstrated “professional standards and judicial prestige comparable to the most distinguished and senior judges in the highest courts of major common law jurisdictions.”
“The Hong Kong courts have consistently played a core role in upholding justice, with their case law highly regarded by other common law jurisdictions,” he said in Cantonese. “Mr Justice Ribeiro is professionally outstanding and has achieved remarkable accomplishments. Reappointing Mr Justice Ribeiro is crucial to maintaining the high-level operation of the Court of Final Appeal.”
Statutory retirement age
Ribeiro began his career at the Court of Final Appeal in January 2000, according to his biography on the top court’s website. Before that, he served on the Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeal.
He is the only one of three permanent judges on the Court of Final Appeal who has exceeded the statutory retirement age of 70. The other two – Joseph Paul and Johnson Lam – are still six to seven years short of the limit.
Under existing law, Ribeiro is still qualified for one extended term, meaning he can potentially serve until the age of 82.
Ribeiro has presided over several cases involving high-profile pro-democracy politicians. In August 2024, Ribeiro and four other top court judges unanimously rejected a bid by prominent democrats to overturn their convictions for knowingly taking part in an unauthorised assembly.
In March, the veteran judge also sat on a panel of five judges presiding over the sedition case of former radio host Tam Tak-chi, also known as “Fast Beat”. The court maintained that Tam was guilty of uttering “seditious words,” including him chanting the now-banned slogan, “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times.”
