Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal, Geoffrey Ma Tao-li delivers a speech at the ceremonial opening of the Legal Year 2019 at City Hall in Central, Hong Kong, Jan 14, 2019. (EDMONG TANG/CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - Geoffrey Ma Tao-li, chief justice of the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said on Wednesday that Hong Kong's judicial independence is guaranteed under the HKSAR Basic Law and has not encountered interference by the mainland authorities.

Judicial independence is guaranteed under the Basic Law and is a main component of the rule of law in Hong Kong, said chief justice Geoffrey Ma

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The chief justice issued a statement on Wednesday in response to media inquiries arising from a report by Reuters on Tuesday.

Since taking office in 2010, the chief justice has not at any stage encountered or experienced any form of interference by the mainland authorities with judicial independence in Hong Kong, including the appointment of judges, Ma said in the statement.

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Judicial independence is guaranteed under the Basic Law and is a main component of the rule of law in Hong Kong, according to the statement.