The Hong Kong Bar Association (HKBA) is the professional regulatory body for barristers in Hong Kong. The Law Society of Hong Kong is the equivalent association for solicitors in Hong Kong.
Advertisement announcing the formation of the Hong Kong Bar Association in March 1948
According to its website,the Hong Kong Bar Association was founded in 1949.[1] However,a newspaper advertisement from March 1948 records the foundation of the association on 12 March 1948 with Mr Eldon Potter KC being elected President,Mr H.D. Sheldon KC being elected chairman and Mr Percy Chen being elected Secretary Treasurer. The offices of the Association were located in the offices of Mr Chen in Prince's Building,Hong Kong.[2]
Role
The objects of the Hong Kong Bar Association are generally to consider and to take proper action on all matters affecting the legal profession and the administration of justice. These include:
the maintenance of the honour and independence of the Bar;
the improvement of the administration of justice in Hong Kong;
the prescribing of rules of professional conduct,discipline and etiquette;
furtherance of good relations and understanding within the legal profession.
After finishing PCLL,prospective barristers will enter pupillage with a pupilmaster for a year;after half a year they will gain rights of audience in court.
Overseas barristers may,having at least three years' experience,take the Barristers Qualification Examination to officially become a Hong Kong barrister.[3]
Additionally,Hong Kong qualified solicitors of at least three years' qualified experience may apply to be admitted as a barrister. However,one may not be both a barrister and solicitor at the same time and are required to remove themselves from the roll of solicitors before admission as a barrister. For example,the No. 1 ranked barrister in seniority in 2007,Sir John Swaine SC,switched to become a solicitor in 2002,but switched back in 2004. Solicitors seeking to qualify as barrister are required to do pupillage,however,the period may be shortened for those with substantial advocacy experience.[4]
Number of practising barristers
As of February 2025,there were 108 Senior Counsel (92 male,16 female),and 1,612 (1,110 male,511 female) junior barristers in practice at the private bar in Hong Kong.[5] There were 77 pupil barristers of whom 34 were male and 43 female.[6]
Senior Counsel
After gaining ten years' experience as a barrister or government counsel in Hong Kong,a barrister admitted in Hong Kong may apply to become a Senior Counsel (SC) (資深大律師).[7] Time in practice as a barrister or lawyer in another jurisdiction or as a solicitor in private practice in Hong Kong does not count.[8] The Law Society of Hong Kong has called for this to be changed,so that solicitors may also be appointed Senior Counsel.[9]
In colonial Hong Kong up until the handover on 1 July,1997,the title was instead King's Counsel or Queen's Counsel (QC) (御用大律師). After the transfer of sovereignty,Queen's Counsel who had been appointed QC in HK or British Queen's Counsel who had been admitted to practice in Hong Kong generally prior to the handover became Senior Counsel automatically.[10]
The Bar reiterated their call for the abolition of functional constituencies as being non-compliant with international law –Article 25(b) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 21 of the Bill of Rights. They urged the government to put forward a revised consultation document with more progressive proposals,a clear road map on the way forward,and a commitment to abolish functional constituencies.[11] The Bar Association said that corporate or directors' voting was also incompatible with international law;they said the failure to comply is not mitigated by replacing corporate voting by an authorised representative with voting by directors,executives,member associations,individual members. [12]
Comments on Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link Co-location arrangement
The Bar Association criticised the arrangement for distortion of the Basic Law,stating it damages the rule of law in Hong Kong as Article 18 was clearly written and leaves no room for any interpretation which would allow Chinese law to apply in any certain part of HKSAR.[13]Carrie Lam defended the arrangement and responded by stating that "some Hong Kong legal professionals have an elitist mentality or double standards,that is,they think that Hong Kong’s legal system is supreme,and that the mainland legal system –a big country with a 1.3 billion population –is wrong." Her statement prompted widespread disbelief in Hong Kong. [14]
Concerns about Hong Kong's National Security Law
The association was quoted saying it was "gravely concerned with both the contents of the [national security law] and the manner of its introduction." The statement noted that the law was enacted in a way that prevented the city's lawyers,judges,police and residents from understanding its contents in any way prior to its coming into force.[15][16]
Admission of overseas counsel for Jimmy Lai
In September 2022,the HKBA (along with the Secretary for Justice) opposed an application by Jimmy Lai to hire a King’s Counsel in the UK to represent him in his trial in Hong Kong,stating that "the well established criteria for admitting overseas counsel on an ad hoc basis are not met."[17]
In November 2022,after the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal ruled to allow Tim Owen KC to be admitted as an overseas counsel on an ad hoc basis,the Chief Executive of Hong Kong,John Lee,made a request to the NPCSC for an interpretation of the national security law over whether overseas counsel are allowed to take part in national security cases.[18]
The former HKBA chairman Victor Dawes,SC said at a media briefing that "the national security law is a relatively new piece of legislation and we hope that any ambiguity can be clarified by our courts in the future and the power to interpret…be exercised sparingly" whilst noting that "I do understand the government's position and the reasoning given by the chief executive."[19][20] He dismissed suggestions that disallowing overseas barristers in national security cases would undermine defendants' rights and freedom in legal representation,saying there are sufficient lawyers in the city to handle such cases.[21] Referring to Lai's case,Dawes claimed that an overseas lawyer would not contribute much.[22] Dawes also said that the incident would not damage Hong Kong's judicial independence.[23][24][22]
Tanya Chan
In April 2023,the HKBA censured former barrister and Legislative Council member Tanya Chan over her involvement in the Umbrella Movement.[25] The complainant was anonymous.[26]
National security law judges
In May 2023,the HKBA expressed "grave concerns" over the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China,which asked for judges in national security cases to be sanctioned. The HKBA said "The Bar stresses once again that there is no basis at all to call into question the integrity and independence of Hong Kong judges..." and that calls to do so "must be sternly deplored and condemned."[27]
Resignations of foreign judges
In June 2024,after two foreign judges on the Court of Final Appeal resigned,the HKBA said "the Bar strongly believes that their resignations will not affect the ability of our apex court in discharging its judicial functions and has every confidence in the independence of our judicial system."[28] In contrast,one of the judges who resigned said that judges' freedoms had been "severely limited" and that "The rule of law is profoundly compromised in any area about which the government feels strongly."[29]
↑ HKBA Bar List. Government lawyers with the Department of Justice are not required to hold practising certificates through the HKBA, so the actual numbers in practice is higher than these. See: Ss.3 and 4 of the Legal Officers Ordinance
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