Jimmy Lai: Prison Sentence

Lord Swire Excerpts

Monday 9th February 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

I understand the way the CCP might see planning decisions in this country, but we operate under a legal framework and have to stick to the law. We cannot make exceptions just because it happens to be an application by a foreign Government.

[Lord Swire (Con)]

The Minister is quite right to be sensitive in the way she is talking this afternoon. These things are listened into carefully by China. When I was the Minister with responsibility for that part of the world, we supported the continuation of British judges on the Hong Kong circuit while there was a vestige of democracy in that place. Is it the case, though, that there are still two remaining non-permanent judges on the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal, the noble and learned Lords, Lord Neuberger and Lord Hoffman? Are they still serving there, and what pressure can the Government bring to bear on them to let them know that, on a black day such as this, it sends a very mixed message to Beijing that we still have two British judges operating over there, if we do?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

As far as I understand it, they are still serving and there is a clear view taken by this House and others about that decision to continue to serve. The Government have not put pressure on them, because that is not the way we treat judges, but given the view that comes from this House and has been expressed and explained here, I think they could do worse than to listen to what the noble Lord just said.