One of the judges sitting on Hong Kong’s top court said he had no intention of leaving, adding that it was “unfortunate” that the question arose on whether British judges should continue to play a role in the city’s judiciary.

Kemal Bokhary, a non-permanent judge at the Court of Final Appeal, was responding to earlier comments by the president of the U.K. Supreme Court, who said he would not nominate British judges to Hong Kong if the city’s judicial independence or rule of law is undermined.

“It is a matter of political controversy, and a judge should not enter political controversy. But I can tell you for myself that I have no intention of leaving the court,” Bokhary told reporters on Sunday.

“If I have no intention of leaving the court, you may guess that I don’t think anybody else should do so either.”

Robert Reed, president of the U.K. Supreme Court, told the House of Lords last week that it would be a “very serious step” to take for British judges to quit Hong Kong’s top court, but he would not allow his court’s reputation to be put at risk.

“If there was any undermining of the independence of the Hong Kong judiciary, or if it was expected to act contrary to rule of law, or if simply the situation in Hong Kong became one where we could in no longer good conscience serve there, then I would no longer be prepared to serve or to nominate other judges of the court to serve there,” Reed said.

Bokhary said he did not believe the situation in Hong Kong would deteriorate to the point where he would consider quitting.

“I’ll just get on with my job,” he said.

Bokhary, 73, was speaking to the media after getting the COVID-19 vaccine at Ap Lei Chau Sports Centre with his daughter. He said he was not worried about side effects and expressed strong support for getting vaccinated.

Bokhary chose the BioNTech vaccine as it had more supporting data, but he would not mind getting the Sinovac vaccine if that was the only one available, he added.

Bokhary also praised the media for being part of the rule of law itself. “A free press will help to maintain the rule of law, and the existence of a free press is evidence that the rule of law prevails,” he said.

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