Cheung 'probably better than me'

Geoffrey Ma Tao-li won't come back as a non-permanent judge after retirement.

Other than that, he said has not decided about his post-retirement plans, saying he is busy this month.

Ma became the SAR's second chief justice on September 1, 2010, taking over from Andrew Li Kwok-nang, who retired at the age of 61.

Ma was born in Hong Kong in 1956 and obtained his law degree at Birmingham University in England in 1977. He was called to the English Bar the following year and to the Hong Kong Bar in 1980.

He was appointed a recorder of the High Court in November 2000 until his appointment as a judge of the Court of First Instance in December 2001. He was appointed a Justice of Appeal in November 2002, and the Chief Judge of the High Court in July 2003.

Ma will be succeeded on Monday as chief justice by Andrew Cheung Kui-nung, 59, who was appointed a permanent judge of the CFA in October 2018.

Ma expressed full confidence in Cheung and about the future of the rule of law in Hong Kong, as he believes Cheung can deal with challenges.

"I retire when I'm 65, that is the retirement age which I had when I joined the judiciary. Retirement age is now going up to 70. I could have extended to 70," Ma said. "I would not have left the office at all if I thought there was nobody suitable who would take over from me. Somebody suitable and good will be taking over, probably better than me."

Ma said Cheung will face challenges just like himself and his predecessor Li did, but he believes Cheung will be able to deal with them.

Cheung read law at the University of Hong Kong, obtaining a bachelor of laws degree in 1983 and a postgraduate certificate in laws in 1984.

He obtained a master of laws degree from Harvard Law School in 1985 and was called to the Hong Kong Bar the same year.

In 1995, Cheung was also admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore.

Cheung was appointed a deputy High Court judge in December 2001 and a judge of the Court of First Instance in 2003.

In 2011, he was appointed as the chief judge of the High Court and became the president of the Court of Appeal.

Cheung was nominated to be the next chief justice by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in March last year.

The Legislative Council passed the resolution on appointing Cheung on a vote of 39-5, with 11 abstentions, in June last year.