### Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Ordinance 《香港終審法院條例》

13. Prohibition on practice as barrister or solicitor
A person who has been appointed as the Chief Justice, a permanent judge or a non-permanent judge shall not be entitled to practise as a barrister or solicitor in Hong Kong either while he holds office as such a judge or at any time after he ceases for any reason to hold office as such a judge and shall be deemed upon and by virtue of such appointment to be not qualified to practise as a barrister or solicitor.

13A. Meaning of retirement age etc.
(1) In sections 14 and 15—
retirement age (退休年齡), for the Chief Justice or a permanent judge, means—
(a) unless paragraph (b) applies—the age of 70 years;
(b)  if the Chief Justice or the permanent judge could have opted for the retirement age (extension) arrangement pursuant to section 11A of the Pension Benefits (Judicial Officers) Ordinance (Cap. 401) or the Circular, and has not so opted—the age of 65 years. 
(2)  In this section and section 14A— 
Circular (《通告》) means a Circular issued by the Chief Justice on the details of the retirement age (extension) arrangement for judicial officers engaged on terms that do not attract pension benefits under the Pension Benefits (Judicial Officers) Ordinance (Cap. 401); 
retirement age (extension) arrangement (退休年齡(延展)安排) means the arrangements in relation to the extension of the ages of retirement and terms of office for judicial officers as provided by the amendments contained in the Judicial Officers (Extension of Retirement Age) (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 (10 of 2019).
(Added 10 of 2019 s. 20)

### Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Ordinance 《香港終審法院條例》

14A. Transitional provisions relating to retirement age (extension) arrangement
(1) In this section—
specified judge (指明法官) means the Chief Justice or a permanent judge— 
(a) whose term of office has been extended under section 14(2)(a) before the commencement date of the Judicial Officers (Extension of Retirement Age) (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 (10 of 2019) (commencement date

15. Continuing powers of judges
Notwithstanding the fact that he has attained the retirement age or that his term of office has for any reason expired, a judge may continue to sit as and perform all the functions of a member of the Court for as long as may be necessary to enable the Court to deliver judgment or do any other thing in relation to proceedings that were commenced, before he attained that age or before his term of office expired, in the Court of which he was then sitting as a member.
(Amended 10 of 2019 s. 23)

### Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Ordinance 《香港終審法院條例》

16. Hearing of appeals
(1) Subject to subsection (4), an appeal shall be heard and determined by the Court constituted as follows—
(a) the Chief Justice or a permanent judge designated to sit in his place under subsection (2);
(b) 3 permanent judges nominated by the Chief Justice; and
(c) 1 non-permanent Hong Kong judge or 1 judge from another common law jurisdiction selected by the Chief Justice and invited by the Court.
(2) The Chief Justice shall be President of the Court, and where he is not available for any cause to hear an appeal he shall designate a permanent judge to sit in his place and be President.
(3) Where pursuant to subsection (2) a judge is sitting in place of the Chief Justice the Court must still consist of 5 judges.
(4) Where a sufficient number of permanent judges are not available for any cause to hear an appeal, the Chief Justice shall nominate a non-permanent Hong Kong judge to sit in place of a permanent judge.
(5) The judgment or order which is that of the majority of the judges sitting shall be deemed to be the judgment or order of the Court.
(6) If there is no judgment or order which is that of the majority of the judges sitting, a rehearing shall be ordered.
(7) If a judge is absent for any cause after the hearing of the appeal has commenced but before the determination of the appeal, the appeal may with the consent of all the parties be continued with the remaining judges being not less than 4.
(8) No judge shall sit as a member of the Court on the hearing of, or on the determination of any application in proceedings incidental or preliminary to—
(a) an appeal from a judgment or order made by him or by a court in which he was sitting as a member;
(b) an appeal against a conviction before him or a sentence passed by him.

### Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Ordinance 《香港終審法院條例》

17. Powers of the Court
(1) The Court may confirm, reverse or vary the decision of the court from which the appeal lies or may remit the matter with its opinion thereon to that court, or may make such other order in the matter, including any order as to costs, as it thinks fit.
(2) For the purpose of disposing of an appeal, the Court may exercise any powers of the court from which the appeal lies (including the power to order a retrial), or may remit the case to that court.
(3) Where the Court restores a conviction, it may make—
(a) any order for the restitution of property which the court of trial could have made; and
(b) any compensation order which the court of trial could have made under section 73 of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance (Cap. 221).
(4) The Court may from time to time adjourn the hearing of any appeal.
(5) Any provision in this or any other Ordinance which authorizes or requires the taking of any steps for the execution or enforcement of a judgment or order of the Court of Appeal or the Court of First Instance applies in relation to a judgment or order of the Court as it applies in relation to a judgment or order of the Court of Appeal or the Court of First Instance. (Amended 120 of 1997 s. 9)

### Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Ordinance 《香港終審法院條例》

18. Appeal Committee
(1) There shall be an Appeal Committee consisting of—
(a) the Chief Justice and 2 permanent judges nominated by the Chief Justice; or
(b) 3 permanent judges nominated by the Chief Justice.
(2) The power of the Court to hear and determine any application for leave to appeal, including the power of the Court to certify under section 32(3), shall be exercised by the Appeal Committee. (Amended 133 of 1997 s. 2)
(2A) No judge shall sit as a member of the Appeal Committee on the hearing and determination of any application in proceedings incidental or preliminary to—
(a) an appeal from a judgment or order made by him or by a court in which he was sitting as a member;
(b) an appeal against a conviction before him or a sentence passed by him; or
(c) any appeal in respect of which an application for leave to appeal or an application for a certificate under section 32(2) has been refused or declined by him or by a court in which he was sitting as a member. (Added 133 of 1997 s. 2)
(2B) Where a sufficient number of permanent judges is not available for any cause to sit on the Appeal Committee to hear and determine any application the Chief Justice shall nominate a non-permanent Hong Kong judge to sit in place of a permanent judge. (Added 133 of 1997 s. 2)
(3) The decision of the Appeal Committee shall be final and not itself subject to appeal.

19. Interpretation
In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires—
appeal (上訴) means appeal to the Court in any civil cause or matter;
Court of Appeal (上訴法庭) includes a single judge of the Court of Appeal, where the matter in question is one which properly appertains to a single judge of the Court of Appeal; (Amended 120 of 1997 s. 4)
judgment (判決) includes decree, order or decision;
record (紀錄) means the aggregate of papers relating to an appeal (including the pleadings, evidence and judgments) proper to be laid before the Court on the hearing of the appeal.

20. Application
This Part applies to appeals in any civil cause or matter.

21. Civil jurisdiction
The civil jurisdiction of the Court shall consist of appeals under this Part and under any other law.