Justice Azedo to replace Lima at Court of Final Appeal

Justice José Maria Dias Azedo, judge of the Court of Second Instance, has been appointed as a judge of the Court of Final Appeal, effective from December 17, the government has announced in the Official Gazette.
The move was necessitated by the impending retirement of the incumbent judge at the top court, Justice Viriato Manuel Pinheiro de Lima. The judge is reaching the retirement age this month.
Lawmaker Sulu Sou commented on the appointment, saying that by selecting a Macanese judge to succeed one of Portuguese nationality the government may be trying to preserve Macau’s unique history. “The government may be showing signs that it respects the special history of Macau,” said the lawmaker.
The democrat shows confidence in the expertise knowledge of all judges, and their professionalism to safeguard the rule of law and human rights. “We shouldn’t be assigning judges to different camps,” said the lawmaker.
The Court of Final Appeal has three permanent judges. Besides Justice Lima, there is Justice Song Man Lei and Justice Sam Hou Fai, who is also the head of the top Court.
To fill Justice Azedo’s place at the middle Court, Justice Chao Im Peng, a presiding judge of the Court of First Instance, will be promoted to the middle Court. Furthermore, Justice Cheong Weng Tong will fill Justice Chao’s position. AL