Pres ident ▁of ▁the ▁Court ▁of ▁App e al ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁and ▁a ▁P erman ent ▁Judge ▁of ▁the ▁Court ▁of ▁Final ▁App e al ▁( H ong ▁Kong ' s ▁court ▁of ▁last ▁resort ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁when ▁British ▁colonial ▁rule ▁in ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁ended ▁and ▁China ▁res umed ▁its ▁so vere ig nt y ▁over ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁He ▁assumed ▁senior ▁status ▁three ▁years ▁later , ▁cit ing ▁personal ▁reasons . ▁Until ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁he ▁continued ▁to ▁hear ▁cases ▁on ▁a ▁part - time ▁basis ▁as ▁a ▁non - per man ent ▁judge ▁of ▁the ▁Court ▁he ▁served . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁Lit ton ▁was ▁appointed ▁a ▁Jud icial ▁Commission er , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁Justice ▁of ▁App e al , ▁of ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁of ▁Br une i ▁Dar uss al am . ▁ ▁Ext ra - jud icial ▁life ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁Lit ton ▁released ▁his ▁book ▁Is ▁the ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁Jud ici ary ▁S leep walk ing ▁to ▁ 2 0 4 7 ?, ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁critic ised ▁numerous ▁aspects ▁of ▁Hong ▁Kong ’ s ▁legal ▁system , ▁foc using ▁particularly ▁on ▁the ▁mis use ▁of ▁jud icial ▁reviews ▁in ▁recent ▁years .. ▁He ▁also ▁argued ▁that ▁courts ▁ought ▁not ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁“ deb ating ▁chamber ” ▁to ▁challenge ▁government ▁policy .. ▁▁▁ ▁Lit ton ▁is ▁known ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁great ▁advoc