Hong Kong Judiciary Says British Judge to Step Down From City’s Top Court

In this still image taken from Supreme Court/Parliament TV footage, head of Supreme Court of the United Kingdom Lady Brenda Hale announces ruling, that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to prorogue parliament was unlawful, ahead of Brexit, at the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in London, Britain, on Sept. 24, 2019. Supreme Court/Parliament TV via Reuters/File

HONG KONG—British judge Brenda Hale will step down from Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal next month when her three-year term expires, the judiciary said on Friday, a move that may deepen uncertainty over the role of foreign judges in the semi-autonomous city.

The departure of Hale, a former president of Britain’s Supreme Court, comes amid international concern over the effect on the city of a national security law imposed by China’s parliament a year ago.