98-689: High Court District Court Magistrates' Court Special courts and tribunals: Chief Executive Elections Legislative elections District council elections Consular missions in Hong Kong Hong Kong–China relations Hong Kong–Taiwan relations The chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is the representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and head of
196-600: A barrister , advocate , solicitor or judicial officer in Hong Kong or another common law jurisdiction is eligible to be appointed as the Registrar or a Master. Full-time Judges and Recorders , as well as the Registrar and Masters, are appointed by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of the independent Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission (JORC). Part-time Deputy Judges are appointed on
294-482: A Deputy High Court Judge and High Court Master, also sits as a Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court of Brunei Darussalam. Recorders of the court of first instance of the high court are practitioners in private practice (in practice, Senior Counsel ) who are appointed for a fixed term of a few years and sit for a few weeks in a year. Recorders may exercise all the jurisdiction, powers and privileges of
392-599: A Justice of Appeal in 2000. In 2019, Madam Justice Susan Kwan was the first woman to be appointed as Vice President of the Court of Appeal. The current full-time judges of the High Court (as at 9 August 2024) are (ranked according to the priority of their respective appointments; Senior Counsels indicated by an asterisk *): Chief Judge of the High Court Justices of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of
490-676: A case in a courtroom situated in the District Court building. This is similar to England , where the High Court sometimes sits outside London in County Courts which act as High Court District Registries. In the Jimmy Lai case, the prosecution asked the High Court for an adjournment from 1 December 2022 to 8 December 2022; the High Court added a few more days and adjourned it until 13 December 2022. On 13 December 2022,
588-511: A contested election in 1998 and was uncontested in 2000. The Finance Subsector is corresponding to the Finance functional constituency and consists of corporate bodies that are banks and deposit-taking companies. In 2006 there were 136 corporate bodies registered as electors. Finance Subsector had contested elections in the 1998, 2000 and the 2002 by-election. The voter turnout in the 1998 and 2000 elections were 81.56% and 70.29% respectively. In
686-524: A corresponding Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape functional constituency . It consists of individuals who are registered architects, landscape architects, surveyors, planners or individual members of the organisations such as the Hong Kong Institute of Architects , the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors and the Hong Kong Institute of Planners entitled to vote a general meetings. Registered landscape architects were not included in
784-736: A corresponding functional constituency Textiles and Garment . Corporate members of associations such as the Textile Council of Hong Kong, Federation of Hong Kong Garment Manufacturers, the Hong Kong Chinese Textile Mills Associations, and the Hong Kong Institution of Textile and Apparel who are allowed to vote at general meetings are the electors of this Subsector. Individuals include registered textiles and clothing manufacturers, and registered textile traders. From 1998 and 2000 there
882-587: A daily rate of HK$ 11,765. The retirement age of full-time High Court Judges is 70. However, the term of office can be extended further up to the age of 75. The Chief Judge of the High Court is the Court Leader of the High Court and the President of the Court of Appeal. The Chief Judge is responsible for the administration of the High Court and is accountable to the Chief Justice , who is head of
980-519: A full-time Judge of the Court of First Instance receives a monthly salary of HK$ 292,650, while a Justice of Appeal receives a monthly salary of HK$ 307,050. The Chief Judge of the High Court receives a monthly salary of HK$ 340,600. Further, full-time Judges are provided with housing in Judiciary Quarters or, alternatively, a housing allowance at HK$ 163,525 per month. As of 1 April 2020, Recorders and Deputy High Court Judges receive honoraria at
1078-461: A full-time Judge of the Court of First Instance. The recordership scheme was introduced in 1994 to encourage experienced practitioners who are willing to sit as a High Court Judge for a few weeks every year, but are not prepared to commit themselves to a permanent, full-time appointment. It was intended to act as a more formal system of appointment compared to the more ad hoc nature of appointment of Deputy High Court Judges. The current Recorders of
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#17327836226711176-611: A new law that would change the electoral system in Hong Kong. The size of the Election Committee will grow from 1,200 to 1,500 members. The new members of the Election Committee will include 'patriotic groups', members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference , Area Committees and District Fight Crime Committees. Those groups will make up 156 seats in the Election Committee and 27 seats will be given to Hongkongers based in mainland China. The 117 seats of
1274-468: A pay freeze imposed in 2012, resulting in its increase to HK$ 4.61 million ($ 591,000). In July 2017, directors of bureaux (DoBs) were approved to have a 12.4% pay rise and the 3.5% pay differential between secretaries of departments (SoDs) and DoBs remained, indicating a new annual pay of approximately HK$ 5 million for the city's leading role because the Chief Executive received a salary of 112% of
1372-399: A pay freeze imposed on the chief executive and senior civil servants in 2012, he was accused of granting himself a pay rise by stealth and going against the trend of top politicians taking pay cuts instead of pay increases. In July 2021, Carrie Lam refused to remove the legal immunity of the chief executive in anti-bribery legislation, stating that the officeholder has to be accountable to
1470-453: A political party is acceptable). All High Court Judges (regardless of whether they are full-time Judges, Recorders or Deputy Judges on temporary appointment) are addressed in court as "My Lord" or "My Lady". In court judgments and decisions, Vice Presidents of the Court of Appeal are referred to as '[surname] VP' or '[surname] V-P' (or in the plural as '[surname] and [surname] V-PP'). Justices of Appeal are referred to as '[surname] JA' (or in
1568-670: A retired High Court Judge, District Judge or magistrate as Chairman of the Appeal Board on Public Meetings and Processions (currently Mr Justice Pang Kin-kee ). In addition, it is a statutory requirement that the Chief Executive appoint a serving or retired High Court Judge or Deputy High Court Judge to chair the Market Misconduct Tribunal (MMT) and the Securities and Futures Appeals Tribunal (SFAT). At present, Mr Justice Lunn (former Vice President of
1666-558: A single Judge, though important cases may be heard by a bench consisting of more than one Judge, although this is very rare. This practice is similar to the English High Court , where important cases may be heard by a divisional court consisting of a three- or two-member bench. All judges of the Court of First Instance also serve as members of the Competition Tribunal. The President and Deputy President of
1764-600: A temporary basis by the Chief Justice . It is not uncommon for a person to sit as a Recorder or Deputy High Court Judge prior to appointment as a full-time High Court Judge. Newly-appointed High Court judges with previous service as the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Department of Justice are subject to a 'sanitisation' period of 6 months upon appointment. During this period, the judge does not deal with any criminal trials or appeals or any civil cases involving
1862-529: Is John Lee selected as chief executive in the 2022 election , appointed by the Chinese State Council with the designation decree signed by Premier Li Keqiang on 30 May 2022 and took office on 1 July 2022. Lee is the fifth Chief Executive; each of his four predecessors are still living. According to article 44 of the Basic Law, the chief executive must be a Chinese citizen as defined by
1960-521: Is a part of the legal system of Hong Kong . It consists of the Court of Appeal and the Court of First Instance ; it deals with criminal and civil cases which have risen beyond the lower courts. It is a superior court of record of unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction . It was named the Supreme Court before 1997 . Though previously named the Supreme Court, this Court has long been
2058-547: Is a statutory requirement that the Chief Executive appoint a serving or retired High Court judge to be Commissioner on Interception of Communications and Surveillance (currently Mr Justice Suffiad). The Chief Executive also appoints three to six Judges of the Court of First Instance (currently Mr Justice Fung , Mr Justice Bharwaney and Madam Justice Lisa Wong) on the recommendation of the Chief Justice to serve as panel judges handling interception and surveillance authorisation requests from law enforcement agencies. Further, it
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#17327836226712156-498: Is a statutory requirement that the Chief Executive appoint at least 2 serving or retired High Court Judges as members of the Long-term Prison Sentences Review Board. At present, Mr Justice Pang Kin-kee and Mr Justice Wilson Chan are President and Deputy President respectively of the Long-term Prison Sentences Review Board. It is also a statutory requirement that the Chief Executive appoint
2254-512: Is a statutory requirement that the Electoral Affairs Commission be headed by a chairman who is a High Court judge (currently Mr Justice Lok) appointed by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Chief Justice . The Electoral Affairs Commission must appoint a Judge of the Court of Final Appeal or a High Court Judge to act as returning officer for elections for the Chief Executive of Hong Kong . Similarly, it
2352-584: Is another subsector of the five without an equivalent functional constituency. It consists of individuals and corporations who are members of the Hong Kong Chinese Enterprises Association and allowed to vote at general meetings. The association was established in 1991 and its membership includes companies which are registered in Hong Kong, solely-funded or joint ventures with their original capital from Mainland China. The corporate voters continue to dominate with 220, 99.5% of
2450-462: Is composed of corporations including banking and financial services, hotel and catering, industrial and manufacturing, insurance, professional and business services, construction, shipping, trading, distribution, and transportation companies who are members of the Employers' Federation of Hong Kong and entitled to vote at general meetings. There were 112 bodies registered as electors in 2000. They had
2548-497: Is corresponding to the Accountancy functional constituency and includes individuals who are certified public accountants. The number of registered individuals in 1998 was 9,897 and 20,765 in 2006. The Subsector has held contested elections in 1998, 2000, and 2006 as well as the 2005 by-election. It has been one of the most highly contested subsectors with an average of 2.04 candidates per seats and 12 candidates for 3 open seats in
2646-680: Is corresponding to the Industrial (Second) functional constituency of the same corporate members of the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong that are entitled to vote at general meetings. In 2006 there were 517 registered corporate electors. The Industrial (Second) Subsector never had a contested election. The Insurance Subsector corresponds with the Insurance functional constituency and contains companies who are authorised or deemed authorised insurers. The makeup of
2744-458: Is formed and performs its selection function once every five years, even in the event of a CE not completing their term. The membership of the Election Committee was expanded to 1,500 under the massive overhaul of the electoral system in 2021. The Election Committee has been criticised for its "small-circle" electoral basis and its composition favouring pro-Beijing and business interests. The Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984 provides that
2842-551: Is head of the executive branch of the Hong Kong government. The functions of the chief executive include nominating principal officials for appointment by the State Council of China , which is headed by the premier , conducting foreign relations , appointing judges and other public officers, giving consent to legislation passed by the Legislative Council , and bestowing honours . The Basic Law grants
2940-478: Is increasingly competitive with 27 candidates in 1998 and 49 in 2006 running for 20 seats. 10 seats of the Education sub-sector are ex officio seats filled by Vice-Chancellor or Presidents of universities: 10 seats of the Education sub-sector are ex officio seats filled by offices specified by sponsoring bodies which operate secondary schools, primary schools and kindergarten that receive recurrent funding from
3038-533: Is one of the five subsectors without a corresponding functional constituency. It consists of individual members of ten organisations including the Hong Kong Association of Traditional Medicine, Hong Kong Chinese Herbalists Association, and Society of Practitioners of Chinese Herbal Medicine who are entitled to vote at general meetings. In 2006 there were 4,250 registered individual electors. This Subsector held contested elections in 1998, 2000, 2006, and
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3136-457: Is provided to discharge promotional and protocol-related functions. Depending on police risk assessment, personal security protection is provided. Former Chief Executives also enjoy medical and dental care. Former Chief Executives hold the title "The Honourable", and ranks third in the Hong Kong order of precedence . Remuneration for the chief executive of Hong Kong is among the highest in
3234-532: Is the electoral college in Hong Kong that selects the Chief Executive (CE) and, since 2021, elects 40 of the 90 members of the Legislative Council . Established by Annex I of the Basic Law of Hong Kong which states that "the Chief Executive shall be elected by a broadly representative Election Committee in accordance with this Law and appointed by the Central People's Government (State Council)." It
3332-708: Is the highest portion of uncontested subsectors. It includes the following subsectors: The Catering Subsector is corresponding to the Catering functional constituency and contains both corporate and individual members who hold food licences and/or members of the Association such as the Association for the Hong Kong Catering Services Management, the Hong Kong Catering Industry Association and
3430-463: The 2012 Chief Executive election . After a nine-hour debate on the consultation document, the resolution which increased the size of the Election Committee won endorsement at 2:20 p.m. on 24 June by the legislature 46 votes to 13. Ten pan-democrats , including eight Democratic Party legislators, supported the proposals. In March 2021 the National People's Congress of China passed
3528-489: The Basic Law . The Election Committee is responsible for the nomination of chief executive candidates and election of the chief executive-elect. Under the 2021 Hong Kong electoral changes initiated by the National People's Congress , each candidate running for chief executive elections is to be nominated by at least 188 members of the Election Committee , before their eligibility is reviewed and confirmed by
3626-496: The Beijing government and hence, extending such provisions to CE would 'sabotage its superior constitutional status'. She was accused of positioning herself above the law whilst going against the principles of separation of power and rule of law . (born 1937) (born 1944) (born 1954) (born 1957) (born 1957) High Court of Hong Kong The High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
3724-563: The Chief Secretary . The new salary of Chief Executive of Hong Kong is about thirty-nine times more than the annual salary of President of China . Since the chief executive is directly appointed by the Central People's Government of China after an election by a committee of 1,500 people selected by the Chinese Government, rather than the general population, many people, in particular the pro-democrats , have criticised
3822-603: The Chief Secretary for Administration , the most senior official and head of the Government Secretariat , in charge of overseeing the administration of the Government. The Chief Executive holds the title " The Honourable ", and ranks first in the Hong Kong order of precedence . The official residence of the chief executive is Government House in Central , Hong Kong Island . The current chief executive
3920-505: The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce who are allowed to vote at general meetings. The electorate remained unchanged from 1998 to 2009 and electorates are equally divided between corporates and individuals. The Commercial (Second) Subsector did not have a contested election in 1998 and 2000. The Employers' Federation of Hong Kong Subsector is one of the five subsectors without a corresponding functional constituency. It
4018-542: The District Councils will be removed. The Election Committee will elect 40 member for the Legislative Council which will be the biggest share of the council and every candidate that would run for the council would need nominations from the five sub sectors in the Election Committee. The key changes to the formation of the Election Committee are detailed in Annex I of the Basic Law , amended on 30 March 2021 by
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4116-636: The Election Committee without first obtaining nominations from one eighth of its total members. The specific method for selecting the chief executive is prescribed in Annex I of the Basic Law. The Election Committee shall be composed of 1500 members from the following sectors pursuant to the amended Annex I under the 2021 Hong Kong electoral changes initiated by the National People's Congress . The Election Committee consists of individuals (i.e. private citizens) and representatives of bodies (i.e. special interest groups or corporate bodies) selected or elected by 40 prescribed sub-sectors as stipulated in Annex I to
4214-654: The Election Committee , with nomination by at least 15 members of each sector of the Election Committee. Candidacy is confirmed upon review and confirmation of eligibility by the Candidate Qualification Review Committee, according to opinions issued by the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the basis of a review by the National Security Department of
4312-770: The Government of Hong Kong . The position was created to replace the office of Governor of Hong Kong , the representative of the Monarch of the United Kingdom during British colonial rule . The office, as stipulated by the Hong Kong Basic Law , formally came into being on 1 July 1997 with the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China . The chief executive
4410-479: The Hong Kong Chinese Importers' and Exporters' Association and companies which are licensed to import and export dutiable commodities, motor vehicles and chemicals. In 2006 there were 777 registered corporate electors and 615 individual electors. The Import and Export Subsector had only a contested election in 1998 with turnout rate of 34.55%. The Industrial (First) Subsector corresponds to
4508-589: The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce who are allowed to vote at general meetings. The corporate voters in the Subsector had dropped from in 1,293 in 1998 to 990 in 2006. The Subsector had contested in the 1998 and 2000 elections and the voter turnout rate were 45.34% and 30.91% respectively. The Commercial (Second) Subsector has a corresponding functional constituency Commercial (Second) and consists of individual and corporate members of
4606-634: The Hong Kong Police Force on whether a candidate meets the legal requirements and conditions of upholding the Basic Law and swearing allegiance to the HKSAR of the People's Republic of China . The Chief Executive-designate is then returned by the Election Committee with an absolute majority in a two-round system: the chief executive-designate is to be returned with an absolutely majority (>750 valid votes) 1. more than 2 candidates obtain
4704-536: The Industrial (First) functional constituency. It is composed of both individual and corporate members of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries who are entitled to vote at general meetings. In 2004 and 2006 there were no individuals registered electors and there were 794 and 743 corporations registered respectively. The Subsector held elections in 1998 and 2000 and in the 2000 election there were 23 candidates running for 12 seats. The Industrial (Second) Subsector
4802-590: The Judiciary . The Chief Judge must be a Chinese citizen who is a Hong Kong permanent resident with no right of abode in any foreign country. The Judges who have held the position of Chief Judge of the High Court of Hong Kong to date are: For pre-1997 Chief Justices, see: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong Full-time High Court judges are given the prefix 'the Honourable' and referred to as 'Mr/Madam/Mrs Justice [surname]'. The Chief Judge of
4900-447: The Legislative Council , deciding on government policies, advising appointment and dismissal of principal officials of the Government of Hong Kong to the Central People's Government of China , appointing judges and holders of certain public offices and to pardon or commute sentences. The position is also responsible for the policy address made to the public. The chief executive's powers and functions are established by article 48 of
4998-907: The Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong , the Hong Kong Construction Association, and the Hong Kong E&;M Contractors' Association who are entitled to vote at general meetings. Large increase in the number and proportion of the individual electors was seen from 1998 when there were 62 individuals making up 15.8% of the electorate and 286 comprising 42.2% in 2000. The proportion remained consistent from 2000 to 2006 when there were 427 corporate electors and 292 individuals. The Real Estate and Construction Subsector held contested elections in 1998, 2000, and 2006 with turnout rates of around 65%. The Textiles and Garment Subsector has
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#17327836226715096-659: The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress as follows: The Election Committee has five sectors, each composed of a number of subsectors (with a total of 38 subsectors). Amongst the 38 subsectors, members of 35 subsectors are returned by elections. The Annex I of Basic Law states that the Election Committee shall be composed of 1,500 members from the five sectors: The first sector composed of members from industrial, commercial and financial backgrounds. They are mostly elected by corporate votes and
5194-549: The Transport functional constituency and consists of bodies including the Airport Authority Hong Kong , Hong Kong Public & Maxicab Light Bus United Association, and MTR Corporation . In 2006 there were 179 registered corporate electors and the number remained little changed. The Transport Subsector held contested elections in 1998, 2000, and 2006. The Wholesale and Retail Subsector is corresponding
5292-573: The Wholesale and Retail functional constituency and consists of both corporate and individual members of 84 different associations including the Chinese Merchants (H.K.) Association, Hong Kong Retail Management Association, and Chinese Medicine Merchants Association. The Wholesale and Retail had contested elections in 1998, 2000 and 2006 with relatively low turnout rates of 34.56%, 28.66%, and 32.26% respectively. The Accountancy Subsector
5390-509: The chief secretary for administration , the financial secretary or the secretary for justice , by rotation, in that order, as acting chief executive. In case the position becomes vacant, a new chief executive would have to be selected. Prior to the handover in 1997 , the office of the chief executive-designate was at the seventh floor of the Asia Pacific Finance Tower. When Tung Chee-hwa assumed duty on 1 July 1997,
5488-464: The first selection of the chief executive, the committee consisted of only 400 members. It was expanded to 800 for the second term . As a result of enabling legislation stemming from a public consultation in 2010 , and its approval by the National People's Congress Standing Committee in Beijing, the number of representatives was increased from 800 to 1200. Following the electoral reform initiated by
5586-533: The 2002 by-election there were only two candidates running for one seat with 24.39% turnout rate. The Financial Service Subsector has a corresponding Financial Services functional constituency . From 1998 to 2004 the Subsector included both individuals and corporations who are exchange participants of an exchange company or corporate members entitled to vote at the general meetings at the Chinese Gold & Silver Exchange Society. 116 individuals and bodies were
5684-1007: The 2005 by-election. 15 seats of the Chinese Medicine sub-sector are nominated from among the Hong Kong members of the Council of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies. The Education Subsector corresponds with the Education functional constituency . It is formed by a merger with the formerHigher Education Subsector. It has the largest electorate of all subsectors and includes full-time academic staff who are teachers or administrators in publicly funded universities, approved secondary colleges, technical colleges and certain tertiary institutions, members of academic councils, registered teachers, principals, and managers of schools, as well as teachers in institutions such as industrial training centres, technical institutes, and
5782-449: The 2005 by-election. The turnout rate remained low with an average of 20.03% for 1998, 2000, and 2006 elections and 12.14% in the 2005 by-election. 15 seats of the Accountancy sub-sector are nominated from among the Hong Kong Accounting Advisors appointed by the Ministry of Finance of the People's Republic of China . The Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape Subsector, formerly called Architectural, Surveying and Planning, has
5880-427: The Association of Restaurant Managers. Individual voters take the 94% of the electorate as the number of the individuals and corporates both registered as voters has grown significantly. The Catering Subsector had contested in 1998 and 2000 with the low turnout rate of 11% in both years. The Commercial (First) Subsector has a corresponding functional constituency Commercial (First) and consists of corporate members of
5978-418: The Basic Law. The Executive Council of Hong Kong is an organ for assisting the chief executive in policy-making. The council is consulted before making important policy decisions, introducing bills to the Legislative Council, making subordinate legislation or dissolving the Legislative Council. Article 52 of the Basic Law stipulates that the Chief Executive must resign when: The Legislative Council has
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#17327836226716076-443: The Candidate Eligibility Review Committee of the HKSAR. The chief executive-designate is then returned by the Election Committee with an absolute majority. The Election Committee is now principally elected by body voters. The number of subsectors with individual votes were significantly reduced, together with elimination of mixed individual and body voting: Chief Executive candidates must receive nominations by at least 188 members of
6174-488: The Caritas Lok Mo Integrated Vocational Training Centre of Caritas. The former Education Subsector held contested elections in 1998, 2000, and 2006. There has been a high level of candidates with an average of 35 candidates for 20 seats. The voter turnout rate remained low with an average of 20.03% in the three elections. In 2006 there were 78,840 registered individual electors. The former Higher Education subsector consisted of 6,856 registered individual electorates in 2006 and
6272-453: The Chief Executive "shall be selected by elections or through consultations held locally and be appointed by the Central People's Government. The system of Election Committee established in the Basic Law to provide an indirect election for the Chief Executive by a 'broadly representative' Election Committee." Besides the first Chief Executive was elected by the 400-member Selection Committee , all Chief Executives since then have been elected by
6370-462: The Chinese government in 2021 to increase mainland-Chinese controls on Hong Kong, the number of representatives was increased to 1500 but most are appointed or ex-officio seats. According to article 46 the term of office of the chief executive is five years with a maximum of two consecutive terms. If a vacancy occurs mid-term, the new Chief Executive's first term is for the remainder of the previous Chief Executive's term only. The method of selecting
6468-429: The Competition Tribunal (currently Mr Justice Harris and Madam Justice Au-Yeung respectively) are appointed by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission. The President of the Lands Tribunal must be a High Court Judge (currently Madam Justice Lisa Wong) and is appointed by the Chief Executive . High Court judges also serve a number of other public service roles. It
6566-425: The Court of Appeal of Brunei Darussalam (Mr Justice Burrell, who is the President of the Brunei Court of Appeal, and Mr Justice Seagroatt and Mr Justice Lunn , who are Justices of Appeal); two retired Hong Kong High Court Judges sit as Judicial Commissioners of the High Court of Brunei Darussalam (Mr Justice Findlay and Mr Justice Lugar-Mawson). Another retired Hong Kong Judge, Edward Woolley, who previously sat as
6664-477: The Court of Appeal), Mr Justice Hartmann (former Justice of Appeal), Kenneth Kwok SC (former Recorder of the Court of First Instance) and Judge Tallentire (former Deputy High Court Judge) are Chairmen of the MMT and SFAT. The Chief Executive may appoint a High Court judge to lead a public inquiry. For example, Mr Justice Andrew Chan was appointed in 2015 as Chairman of the Inquiry into incidents of excess lead found in drinking water , and Mr Justice Lunn, JA
6762-497: The Court of First Instance of the High Court (as at 1 August 2024) are (ranked according to the priority of their respective appointments): The Chief Justice appoints on a temporary basis a number of serving full-time District Court Judges, retired High Court Judges and practitioners in private practice (in general, barristers who are Senior Counsel or solicitors who are senior partners with litigation experience) to sit as part-time Deputy High Court Judges. Before 1983,
6860-476: The Election Committee. The New York Times wrote that sectors that were politically closer to Beijing, such as traditional Chinese medicine, were over-represented in proportion to their share of the population, when compared to sectors deemed hostile, such as social workers or lawyers. Since the electors must serve for no more than five years, a new election must occur, and the Chief Executive resignation would cause an interesting matter of timing, as to whether
6958-437: The Government to maintain judicial independence and impartiality. Upon appointment as a full-time High Court Judge, one must give an undertaking not to return to practise in future as a barrister or solicitor in Hong Kong. The remuneration of High Court Judges is determined by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of the independent Standing Committee on Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service. As of 1 April 2017,
7056-636: The Government, and the total number of schools managed by the school sponsoring bodies are among the top five of all school sponsoring bodies: The Engineering Subsector corresponds with the Engineering functional constituency and consists of individuals who are professional engineers and members of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers who are entitled to vote at general meetings. In 2006 there were 7,742 registered individual electors. There were contested elections in 1998, 2000, 2006, and
7154-516: The HKSAR Passports Ordinance. The individual must be at least 40 years old, a Hong Kong permanent resident who is a Chinese citizen with right of abode in Hong Kong , and has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than 20 years. Article 47 further requires that the chief executive be a person of integrity, dedicated to his or her duties. In addition, candidates are ineligible to stand for selection by
7252-487: The High Court Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court A Justice of Appeal may sit as an additional Judge of the Court of First Instance. A Judge of the Court of First Instance may also hear cases in the Court of Appeal, including as a single Judge (for example, when determining applications for leave to appeal in criminal cases). Cases in the Court of First Instance are usually heard by
7350-485: The High Court further delayed the trial until September 2023, until after the NPCSC ruled in the matter. Election Committee High Court District Court Magistrates' Court Special courts and tribunals: Chief Executive Elections Legislative elections District council elections Consular missions in Hong Kong Hong Kong–China relations Hong Kong–Taiwan relations The Election Committee
7448-422: The High Court may be referred to in writing by adding the post-nominal 'CJHC'. Vice Presidents of the Court of Appeal may be referred to in writing by adding the post-nominal 'VP'. Justices of Appeal may be referred to in writing by adding the post-nominal "JA". In 1995, Mrs Justice Doreen Le Pichon was the first woman to be appointed as a High Court judge. She subsequently became the first woman to be appointed as
7546-853: The Hotel Subsector. It consists of the corporate members of the former Hong Kong Tourist Association , the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong , and the Board of the Airline Representatives in Hong Kong who are entitled to vote at general meetings. In 2006 there were 887 corporations registered as electors. The Tourism Subsector had contested election in 1998, 2000 and 2006 with voter turnout rates of 63.86%, 50%, and 64.13%. In 2006 it had one of them most highly contested subsector elections with 29 candidates running for 12 seats. The Transport Subsector corresponds to
7644-405: The Subsector's electorate has changed very little since 1998 as there were 192 registered companies and 140 registered in 2006. There were contested elections in 1998, 2000 and 2006 with turnout rates of 87.56%, 76.16% and 65.71%. The Real Estate and Construction Subsector corresponds with the functional constituency Real Estate and Construction and consists of individual and corporate members of
7742-603: The chief executive a wide range of powers, but obliges him or her, before making important policy decisions, introducing bills to the Legislative Council, making subsidiary legislation, and dissolving the Legislative Council, to act only after consultation with the Executive Council (all of whose members are the CE's own appointees). The executive council consists of official and non-official members, including
7840-497: The chief executive is provided under Article 45 and Annex I of the Basic Law, and the Chief Executive Election Ordinance. Under the Basic Law the chief executive is the chief representative of the people of Hong Kong and is the head of the government of Hong Kong. The Chief Executive's powers and functions include leading the government, implementing the law, signing bills and budgets passed by
7938-703: The electorate in 1996 were corporations, 310, 97.1% in 2006. The Hong Kong Chinese Enterprises Association Subsector never had a contested election. The Hotel Subsector when taken together with the Tourism Subsector corresponds with the Tourism functional constituency . The Hotel Subsector is formed from corporations who are members of the Hong Kong Hotels Association or the Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners eligible to vote at
8036-553: The electorate until 2000. In 2006 there were 5,584 registered individuals. The Architectural, Surveying and Planning Subsector had contested elections in 1998, 2000, 2006, and the 2005 by-election. There were 28 and 40 candidates between 2000 and 2006 elections. 15 seats of the Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape sub-sector are ex officio seats filled by responsible persons of statutory bodies, advisory bodies and relevant association: The Chinese Medicine Subsector
8134-521: The general meetings. There were 81 registered bodies in 1998 and 95 in 2006. The Subsector had elections in 1998 and 2006 with high turnout of 85% and 81.05% respectively. The 1998 election was competitive with 18 candidates running for 11 seats, and 15 candidates running for 11 seats in 2006. The Import and Export Subsector corresponds with the Import and Export functional constituency and currently consists of corporations and individuals who are members of
8232-427: The highest and the same no. of votes; or 2. no candidates win an absolute majority Then: The chief executive-designate must publicly disaffiliate with a political party within seven days of the election and must not become a member of a party during their term of office. The chief executive-designate is then appointed by the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China before taking office. In
8330-474: The local equivalent to the Senior Courts of England and Wales and has never been vested with the power of final adjudication. A person who has practised for at least 10 years as a barrister , advocate , solicitor or judicial officer in Hong Kong or another common law jurisdiction is eligible to be appointed as a High Court Judge or Recorder . A person who has practised for at least 5 years as
8428-745: The office as undemocratic , and have criticised the entire election process as a "small-circle election." Former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa has even stated that the election's result is a non-binding one, saying that the Chinese government would refuse to appoint the winning candidate if that person was unacceptable to them. Many events , including the Five Constituencies Referendum in 2010, Umbrella Revolution in 2014 and Anti-Extradition Movement during 2019–20, have attempted to push for greater democracy and universal suffrage . In January 2015, when Leung Chun-Ying reversed
8526-788: The office of the chief executive moved to the low block of the new Central Government Complex in Tamar . Government House continues to serve as the official residence of the Chief Executive. Upon retirement, former Chief Executives have access to office space at the Office of Former Chief Executives, 28 Kennedy Road . The office provides administrative support to former Chief Executives to perform promotional, protocol-related, or any other activities in relation to their former official role. The activities include receiving visiting dignitaries and delegations, giving local and overseas media interviews, and taking part in speaking engagements. A chauffeur-driven car
8624-610: The office of the chief executive was located at the fifth floor of the Former Central Government Offices (Main Wing). In the past the governor had his office at Government House . Tung did not use Government House as the primary residence because he lived at his own residence at Grenville House . Donald Tsang decided to return to the renovated Government House during his first term , and moved in on 12 January 2006, for both his office and residence. In 2011,
8722-419: The old or new college of electors would select the new Chief Executive. From 1998 to 2012, the 800 members of the Election Committee comprised 664 nominated from the sectors of the economy, 40 from the religious organisations, and 96 ex officio members taken from the government. The number of members of the Election Committee increased from 800 to 1,200 after the breakthrough on the electoral reform in 2010 for
8820-439: The plural as '[surname] and [surname] JJA'). Full-time Judges of the Court of First Instance are referred to as '[surname] J' (or in the plural as '[surname] and [surname] JJ'). Recorders are referred to as 'Mr/Madam/Mrs Recorder [surname]' (with the post-nominal 'SC' if they are Senior Counsel ). Deputy High Court Judges are referred to either as 'Deputy Judge [surname]', 'Deputy High Court Judge [surname]' or 'DHCJ [surname]' (with
8918-446: The position of Deputy High Court Judge was known as Commissioner . A Deputy High Court Judge may exercise all the jurisdiction, powers and privileges of a full-time Judge of the Court of First Instance. Judicial review cases are not listed before part-time Judges. In order to ensure judicial independence and impartiality, part-time Judges are not permitted to participate actively in political activities (although membership of
9016-438: The post-nominal 'SC' if they are Senior Counsel ). Deputy High Court Judges were previously called Commissioners and were referred to as 'Mr/Madam/Mrs Commissioner [surname]' (with the post-nominal 'Q.C.' if they were Queen's Counsel ) in judgments before 1983. The High Court Building is located at 38 Queensway , Admiralty . The 20-storey building was built in 1985 as the home of the then Supreme Court of Hong Kong , which
9114-415: The power to propose a motion of impeachment of the chief executive for decision by the Central People's Government of China , with the following steps as stipulated in article 73(9) of the Basic Law : The acting and succession line is spelled out in article 53. If the chief executive is not able to discharge his or her duties for short periods (such as during overseas visits), the duties would be assumed by
9212-426: The registered electorates before 2004 and beginning in 2006 the Subsector came to consist of Stock Exchange Hong Kong, Hong Kong Futures Exchange , and members of the Chinese Gold & Silver Exchange Society which are only corporate members. The Subsector has remained a highly contested subsector in the 1998, 2000 and 2006 elections with about 65% turnout rate. The Hong Kong Chinese Enterprises Association subsector
9310-452: The world for a political leader , and only second to that of the prime minister of Singapore . The pay level took a cue from the handsome amounts paid to the city's colonial governors – worth $ 273,000 per annum plus perks in 1992. In 2005, Tung Chee Hwa received some HK$ 3 million ($ 378,500) in pay as Chief Executive. From 2009 until the end of 2014, the salary for the job stood at HK$ 4.22 million. In January 2015, Leung Chun-Ying reversed
9408-670: Was appointed in 2012 as Chairman of the Inquiry into the collision of vessels near Lamma Island . A number of serving and retired Hong Kong High Court Judges also sit as Supreme Court Judges in Brunei . For example, while Mr Justice Rogers served as Vice President of the Hong Kong Court of Appeal, he also sat as a non-resident Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court of Brunei Darussalam between 2010 and 2011. As of 2019, three retired Hong Kong High Court Judges sit as Judges of
9506-506: Was renamed in 1997. It was named the Supreme Court Building, and the road leading to its main entrance is still named Supreme Court Road . The High Court Building was designed by Architect K. M. Tseng. The structure is a white clad tower and has a water fountain outside its front door. Sometimes, the High Court may sit in another venue. For example, a serving District Judge sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge may hear
9604-426: Was significant increase in registered corporations from 2,690 in 1998 to 4.623 in 2000 and have a large proportion of the electorate. In 2006 there were 3,690 registered corporation (97.6% of the electorate) and 89 registered individuals (2.4% of the electorate). The Subsector held contested elections in 1998, 2006 and the 2005 by-election. The Tourism Subsector corresponds to the Tourism functional constituency with
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