It hears all prosecutions and civil disputes, including disputes between individuals and the government. It is fundamental to our law that members of the Judiciary are independent of the executive and legislative branches of government. The Commission is an independent statutory body composed of judges, persons from the legal profession and eminent persons from other sectors. Judges and judicial officers are chosen on the basis of their judicial and professional qualities and may be recruited from other common law jurisdictions. There is no lower age limit, but maturity of character is required.
Judges have security of tenure in office until they reach retirement age.
A judge may only be removed for inability to discharge his duties, or for misbehaviour, by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of a tribunal appointed by the Chief Justice and consisting of not fewer than three local judges. The Chief Justice may be investigated only for inability to discharge his duty, or for misbehaviour, by a tribunal appointed by the Chief Executive and consisting of not fewer than five local judges. In addition to the above, in the case of the appointment or removal of judges of the Court of Final Appeal and the Chief Judge of the High Court, the Chief Executive has to obtain the endorsement of the Legislative Council and report such appointment or removal to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for the record. This principle has always applied in Hong Kong. The exercise of the power to govern is itself accountable to the law.