Chief Executive John Lee today expressed sorrow over the passing of Sir Anthony Mason, a former non-permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal, and extended his deepest condolences to Sir Anthony's family.

Sir Anthony was awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal in 2013 in recognition of his contributions to Hong Kong. He served as a non-permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal from 1997 to 2015.

Mr Lee said that Sir Anthony brought profound wisdom and illustrious experience in his contributions to nurturing the Court of Final Appeal’s development from its earliest days, and that he adjudicated a wide range of high-profile cases, serving the court with dedication and excellence.

The Chief Executive highlighted Sir Anthony was highly esteemed and respected in the judicial and legal sectors, and consistently supported – both during his tenure and after his retirement – Hong Kong’s appointment of judges from common law jurisdictions as non-permanent judges of the Court of Final Appeal under the Basic Law.

He added that Sir Anthony was instrumental in establishing the Court of Final Appeal’s reputation and furthering its prestige in Hong Kong and other common law jurisdictions.

“Sir Anthony also steadfastly supported legal education in Hong Kong, having lectured to numerous students, teachers and legal professionals of Hong Kong throughout the years. He constantly inspired the younger generation with his wit and intellect and made eminent contributions to Hong Kong's legal sector.”

Chief Justice Andrew Cheung, Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal, also expressed deep sadness over Sir Anthony’s passing.

“He sat on many of the court’s most significant constitutional cases during its formative years and authored some of its most important judgments. Beyond constitutional law, he also contributed substantially to the court’s jurisprudence in other important areas of law, leaving a lasting imprint on its early development.”