A Hong Kong judge said during his closing speech at a trial involving a 2019 anti-government protest that he and his colleagues are constantly being harassed by unknown perpetrators. The judge publicly denounced those that have been sending them nuisance letters and phone calls and warned that their actions are punishable under the law.
Judge Stanley Chan Kwong-chi of the District Court said he has been receiving many nuisance calls and messages from people who had disagreed with his rulings. He did not elaborate on the contents of the "condemning the irritating" messages and calls.
Chan warned the people responsible that the harassment could result in a string of offenses - including contempt of court. He said law enforcement should "step up" to help find these people and bring them to justice.
"Heaven is watching whoever is doing it. Regardless of what side of the political spectrum you belong to, [such acts] are bound to undermine the judicial system," Chan said.
New Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal Andrew Cheung Kui-nung previosuly said that people should not attack judges who make decisions they disagree with. He said while people are free to complain about the outcome of some cases, judges should not be the sole recipients of blame.
The Department of Justice said judicial independence is protected under Article 85 of the Basic Law. The agency said those found guilty of harassing or personally attacking the judges will face the consequences.
"If there is any attempt to exert influence over court proceedings through despicable means, the HKSAR government will spare no effort in bringing the culprit to justice in order to safeguard the due administration of the judicial process and public peace," the agency said.
Hong Kong judges have been the target of public criticism since the passing of the Beijing-drafted national security law. Many presiding over politically charged cases have sentenced activists to jail under the recently passed law.
The case Chan was presiding over on Friday was one involving three men who had been charged with rioting during a 2019 protest. Chan said that the harassment will have no bearing on his decision.
