The first chief justice of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal was Andrew Li, who served for over 13 years.

The chief justice is the president of the Court of Final Appeal, and is charged with the administration of the Judiciary and often acts as its spokesperson.

In hearing and determining an appeal, the Court will consist of five judges, with the chief justice sitting at the middle of the bench.

However, the chief justice enjoys no higher authority than other Permanent or Non-permanent Judges of the court when it comes to judicial decisions.

The chief justice is also the chairman ex-officio of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission which makes recommendations to fill a variety of judicial roles, and also determines the elevation of junior barristers to senior counsel status.