JUDICIARY VACANCY

The Judiciary is inviting applications for appointment as Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court.

Main Duties
Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court are responsible for the hearing of criminal and/or civil cases which are within the jurisdiction of the Court of First Instance and for hearing appeals from Magistrates’ Courts and Tribunals. Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court may be called upon to perform non-judicial statutory functions required of a Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court. They may also be required to undertake some other duties within or outside office hours.

Entry Requirements
The statutory qualifications for appointment as a Judge of the High Court are specified in Section 9 of the High Court Ordinance (Cap. 4). Candidates should have acquired the statutory qualifications by 20 December 2026.

Pay and Terms of Appointment

The pay for a Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court is currently $354,050 per month.
Fringe benefits include paid leave, Leave Passage Allowance, medical and dental benefits and Medical Insurance Allowance. Housing benefits in the form of Judiciary Quarters will be offered to eligible candidates. A Judiciary Quarters Allowance currently at $188,427 per month will be offered if Judiciary Quarters are not available.

Successful applicants are employed up to the applicable retirement ages of Judges of the High Court as specified in Section 11A of the High Court Ordinance (Cap. 4). Upon employment, they may opt for appointment either on agreement terms, for which a gratuity is payable upon completion of service of every three years, or on permanent and pensionable terms*.

* Pension benefits under the Pension Benefits (Judicial Officers) Ordinance (Cap. 401) will be granted upon retirement.

General Notes
(1) An ability to speak, read and write Chinese would be a clear asset.
(2) Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court are appointed by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission.
(3) On appointment, Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court are required to give an undertaking that they will not return to private practice in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region without the consent of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
(4) The pay and fringe benefits for Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court are subject to the provisions prevailing at the time the offer of appointment is made.

How to Apply
Application forms are available at the Information Counter on the ground floor of the High Court Building or from the General Offices of the District Court, Lands Tribunal, Labour Tribunal, Small Claims Tribunal and Magistrates’ Courts. The form can also be downloaded from the Judiciary website at https://www.judiciary.hk/en/other_information/recruit_ad.html.
Completed applications should reach the Secretary, Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission on 3/F, High Block, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong on or before 12 October 2026. Please mark on the envelope “Confidential: Re Application for Judicial Appointment”.

ALL APPLICATIONS WILL BE HANDLED IN STRICT CONFIDENCE.
For enquiries, please telephone 28•• •248.