HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has extended for three years the term of office of Leonard Hubert Hoffmann as a non-permanent judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal.

The extended term of Hoffman, who has held the position since 1998, will start from Jan 12.

Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal Andrew Cheung Kui-nung noted that Hoffmann is the longest-serving non-permanent judge on the Court of Final Appeal.

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His continued commitment to the Court of Final Appeal reflects his strong support for the rule of law and judicial independence in Hong Kong, said Cheung.

Since the establishment of the Court of Final Appeal in 1997, overseas non-permanent judges have made valuable contributions to the work of the court and the rule of law in Hong Kong, said Cheung.

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The term of appointment for non-permanent judges is three years, which can be extended for one or more three-year periods by the HKSAR chief executive on the recommendation of the chief justice.