HONG KONG — The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has firmly opposed and strongly denounced smearing remarks on Hong Kong's rule of law made by Jonathan Sumption, a British judge who recently resigned as a non-permanent judge of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.

Sumption publicly smeared the rule of law in Hong Kong, calumniated the judiciary of Hong Kong and vilified Hong Kong judges after his resignation, said a spokesperson for the office. His making of the remarks, all utter lies and concocted rumors, is abominable in that he compromised professional ethics as a judge and broke the oath he took when he swore in as a non-permanent judge.

Sumption's slanders on Hong Kong judges and attacks on the independence of the judiciary of Hong Kong are little more than attempts in cahoots with external forces to pressure judges in relevant cases

READ MORE: Jonathan Sumption shames himself as a tool of the UK’s political machinations

Hong Kong's rule of law brooks no calumniation or slander, said the spokesperson. The rule of law in Hong Kong has been improving since its return to the motherland. HKSAR courts conduct trials independently, and judges fulfill their judiciary duties free from any interference, the spokesperson noted.

Without any involvement in relevant cases and knowledge of the court proceedings, Sumption's slanders on Hong Kong judges and attacks on the independence of the judiciary of Hong Kong are little more than attempts in cahoots with external forces to pressure judges in relevant cases, according to the spokesperson.

READ MORE: HK's judicial independence unchanged albeit UK judges quit under external pressure

Hong Kong will gather more world-class legal professionals and will continue to maintain the rule of law and independence of its judiciary, the spokesperson said.