Hong Kong’s top judge calls on new senior counsel to defend rule of law and ensure equal access to justice for all

The chief justice made similar calls to members of the judiciary at the opening of the legal year in January, urging judges to stand firm against “illegitimate pressure” and interference when issuing rulings.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Secretary of Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok echoed the chief justice’s call for senior counsel to serve the public beyond their private practice.

“It carries a legitimate expectation and perhaps a duty that the appointee shall make good use of his or her legal expertise and standing in society to promote and strengthen the rule of law in different ways in addition to his or her own legal practice,” he said.

“A strong and respectable independent Bar is crucial to preserving the rule of law based on our common law system, which is a unique advantage of Hong Kong under the principle of ‘one country, two systems’ that we cannot afford losing,” the minister said, referring to the framework for ties between the city and Beijing.

Barristers Benson Tsoi Yat-ming, Frances Lok Man-yin and Queenie Fiona Lau are the latest to join the ranks of senior counsel.

Tsoi of Parkside Chambers is the only criminal law specialist among them. His practice focuses on white-collar crime defence, including money laundering and fraud cases.

Lok of Des Voeux Chambers, who is Tsoi’s wife, leads a commercial practice specialising in company law, construction and arbitration, as well as probate and trusts. Lok and Tsoi have a young son, who attended the ceremony.

Lau, from Temple Chambers, has a general civil and commercial practice that includes professional negligence cases, defamation and employment disputes. She is also a member of a number of public and statutory bodies.

Lau is the daughter of Stella Lau Kun Lai-kuen, headmistress of the Diocesan Girls’ School, and James Henry Lau, former secretary of the Financial and Treasury Services Bureau.