Yang Ti-liang, the former Supreme Court Chief Justice of Hong Kong, passed away at the age of 93.

Chief Executive John Lee, Chief Justice Andrew Cheung and Secretary for Justice Paul Lam express sorrow over the passing of former Chief Justice and former Executive Council non-official member #YangTiLiang https://t.co/5oeoLWsuOS

— Hong Kong SAR Government News (@newsgovhk) June 24, 2023

Mourned by leaders

“Mr Yang was a luminary in Hong Kong’s legal community and had made exemplary contributions to upholding the rule of law and to Hong Kong society," Chief Executive John Lee wrote.

“He has all along been committed to the community of Hong Kong and has made dedicated contributions to the development of charitable affairs and higher education. His eminent contributions will be remembered," he added.

#HongKong's John Lee on the death of Sir Yang Ti-liang, former Chief Justice and former non-official member of the Executive Council... https://t.co/DG7FkCSPyn pic.twitter.com/RbpRECJtEH

— Tom Grundy (@tomgrundy) June 24, 2023

40 years of service

"I was greatly saddened to learn that Sir Ti-liang has passed away," said justice secretary Paul Lam on Saturday.

"He had offered 40 years of service to the Judiciary of Hong Kong with outstanding achievements and was held in high regard in the legal sector," he added.

President of LegCo expresses sorrow over passing of Sir Yang Ti-liang https://t.co/7zIpkdGK0Z

— HK Press Releases (@hkgpress) June 24, 2023

His impact

"During his tenure as the Chief Justice and his membership of the Law Reform Commission of Hong Kong, Sir Ti-liang made significant contributions to the development of Hong Kong's Common Law system," according to a government press release.

"Since the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, his active participation in community affairs, in the development of Hong Kong's tertiary education and charitable affairs in particular, was evident in his appointments to numerous public service roles by the Government," it added.

After his retirement from government service in 2002, Ti-liang was also known for hosting a radio and television program in Hong Kong on interesting things for learners of the English language.

He remained passionate about teaching, even in his later years, with his popular program running until 2017.

The former justice's life was one filled with much impact and a high-profile role in a government that dealt with numerous global issues that continue to impact our world today, including the shift of Hong Kong to Chinese control and a variety of other disputes under his leadership.