Why are Australian judges serving in Hong Kong's highest court?

Critics are urging Australian judges serving on Hong Kong's highest court to resign. Fellow foreign justices have stepped down, some in response to the enactment of national security laws, which aims to stifle dissent and democratic freedoms. The involvement of foreign judges on Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal has a long history. Hong Kong was aiming to maintain its common law system after it was handed back by the British to China in 1997. But some critics say Hong Kong's current retention of this system is a move to preserve the city’s international image, and prove the independence of Hong Kong’s judiciary from Chinese rule.