The judiciary said on Friday it welcomed Chief Executive John Lee's approval of its recommendation to appoint Terence Arnold as a non-permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal (CFA). Born in 1947, Arnold retired as a permanent judge of the Supreme Court of New Zealand in April 2017. The New Zealand-Canada dual citizen is set to become the CFA's sixth non-permanent judge from overseas common law jurisdictions and fill in the void left by William Gummow, who died in September aged 83. Lee said he was pleased to accept Arnold's recommendation from the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission. "He is a judge of eminent standing and reputation. I am confident that he will contribute substantively to the Court of Final Appeal," Lee said in a statement. "The presence of these esteemed overseas jurists as non-permanent judges of the Court of Final Appeal is a manifestation of the independence of the Judiciary in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. "Their participation demonstrates a high degree of confidence in the HKSAR's judicial system, and enables Hong Kong to maintain strong links with other common law jurisdictions." The appointment now requires Legco's approval. Edited by Edmond Fong