There has been no damage to Hong Kong's judicial independence over the past year as the courts have handled all cases with impartiality and professionalism.
Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen made the statement to the media today in response to the World Economic Forum's latest Global Competitiveness Report.
It put Hong Kong in 13th place for judicial independence, dropping from eighth last year.
Mr Yuen said the Government is concerned about the drop in grade, but noted the report still ranks Hong Kong top in judicial independence in Asia.
He said subjective factors might affect the perceptions of locals or the international community of Hong Kong's judicial independence.
However, he said he cannot see any objective factors affecting the city's judicial independence as the courts have handled all cases with impartiality and professionalism.
The Government attaches great importance to the rule of law and will uphold Hong Kong's judicial independence, Mr Yuen added.
