Highlights of Events in 2021

Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec
January
1The Rt Hon Lord Patrick HODGE was appointed as a Non-Permanent Judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal for a term of three years
1Mr Martin HUI Siu-ting, SC; Ms SIT Yat-wah, SC; and Ms Rachel LAM Yan-kay, SC, were appointed as Recorders of the Court of First Instance of the High Court for a term of three years
1Ms Winnie TAM Wan-chi, SC; and Mr Stewart WONG Kai-ming, SC, were re-appointed as Recorders of the Court of First Instance of the High Court for a term of three years
6Farewell Sitting in honour of the Hon Chief Justice Geoffrey MA was held in the Court of Final Appeal
8The Hon Chief Justice Geoffrey MA served his last working day in the Judiciary
11The Hon Mr Justice Andrew CHEUNG, Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal, was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal
11The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG officiated at the Ceremonial Opening of the Legal Year 2021 in the Court of Final Appeal

February
1Mr Eugene FUNG Ting-sek, SC; Mr Charles Peter MANZONI, SC; and Ms Yvonne CHENG Wai-sum, SC, were re-appointed as Recorders of the Court of First Instance of the High Court for a term of three years

March
1The terms of office of the Hon Mr Justice Murray GLEESON, the Rt Hon the Lord NEUBERGER of Abbotsbury and the Rt Hon the Lord WALKER of Gestingthorpe, Non-Permanent Judges from other common law jurisdictions of the Court of Final Appeal, were extended for a period of three years
12The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG and the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, attended the third meeting of the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts hosted by the Singapore Supreme Court via video conferencing. The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG also delivered a speech at the meeting

May
18.5-21.5The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG; the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court; and the Hon Madam Justice Carlye CHU, JA, Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, met with the President of the Supreme People’s Court and visited other courts and government authorities in Beijing
29The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG presided over the 2021 Senior Counsel Admission Ceremony
31The Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, delivered a speech at the “Why Use Hong Kong Law” webinar jointly organised by the Department of Justice and the Asian Academy of International Law

June
2The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered a speech at the launching ceremony of the “Legal Aid Department 50th Anniversary Roving Exhibition”
9The Hon Madam Justice Maggie POON, the Hon Mr Justice Godfrey LAM and the Hon Mr Justice Anderson CHOW, Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, were appointed as Justices of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court
16The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG spoke at the Hong Kong Association webinar
28.6-1.7The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG and the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, visited Beijing to attend the celebration activities of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China

July
5The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG attended the National Security Law Legal Forum organised by the Department of Justice
23The Hon Mr Justice Jonathan Russell HARRIS, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, delivered a speech at the First Xiamen Cross-Border Insolvency Colloquium in Xiamen via video conferencing
27The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG; the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court; the Hon Mr Justice Johnson LAM, Vice-President of the Court of Appeal of the High Court; the Hon Madam Justice Carlye CHU, JA, the Hon Mr Justice Derek PANG, JA, the Hon Mr Justice Anderson CHOW, JA, Justices of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court; His Honour Judge Justin KO, Chief District Judge; and Mr Victor SO, Chief Magistrate, attended the Sixth Seminar of Senior Judges of Cross-Strait and Hong Kong and Macao via video conferencing
30The Hon Mr Justice Johnson LAM, Vice-President of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, was appointed as a Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal
30The term of office of the Rt Hon Madam Justice Beverley McLACHLIN, Non-Permanent Judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal, was extended for a period of three years

August
1The Hon Mr Justice Johnson LAM, Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal; the Hon Mr Justice Anthony CHAN, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court; His Honour Judge Justin KO, Chief District Judge; and Mr Victor SO, Chief Magistrate, adjudicated the Bar Association Debating Competition 2021
16The Advisory Committee on Complaints against Judicial Conduct was established
16The Hon Madam Justice Anthea PANG, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, was appointed as a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court
16The Hon Mr Justice Jonathan Russell HARRIS, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, was appointed as the President of the Competition Tribunal for a term of three years
20Members of the Legislative Council Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services visited the West Kowloon Law Courts Building

September
6Five members of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Basic Law Committee visited the Judiciary
28The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered a speech at the Third China Judicial Research Summit Forum and Rule of Law Culture and Judicial Practice Seminar via a pre-recorded video

October
1The term of office of the Rt Hon the Lord PHILLIPS of Worth Matravers, Non-Permanent Judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal, was extended for a period of three years
1Mr WONG Ming-fung, SC; Mr Victor DAWES, SC; Mr Richard KHAW Wei-kiang, SC; Mr José-Antonio MAURELLET, SC; Mr Abraham CHAN Lok-shung, SC; and Mr PAO Jin-long, SC, were appointed as Recorders of the Court of First Instance of the High Court for a term of three years
25The terms of office of the Hon Mr Justice Syed Kemal Shah BOKHARY and the Hon Mr Justice Robert TANG, Non-Permanent Hong Kong Judges of the Court of Final Appeal, were extended for a period of three years
26The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG and the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, attended via video conferencing the Maritime Silk Road (Quanzhou) International Forum on Judicial Cooperation organised by the Supreme People’s Court. The Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON also delivered a speech at the Forum
27The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered a speech at the ADR in Asia Conference: Tomorrow’s Disputes Today

November
1The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered welcome remarks at the Judicial Conference of the Fourth United Nations Commission on International Trade Law ("UNCITRAL") Asia Pacific Judicial Summit 2021. The Hon Mr Justice Jonathan Russell HARRIS, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, also delivered a speech at the Judicial Conference
2The Hon Mr Justice Russell Adam COLEMAN, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, delivered a speech at the legal forum organised by the Hong Kong and Mainland Legal Professional Association entitled "Maritime Dispute Resolution in Hong Kong: Current and Future"
2The Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, addressed the International Criminal Law Conference via a pre-recorded video
2The Hon Mr Justice Jonathan Russell HARRIS, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, delivered a speech at the Judicial Roundtable of the Fourth UNCITRAL Asia Pacific Judicial Summit 2021
5The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered the opening address at the Rule of Law Signature Engagement Event “SEE – A Journey of Transformation for a Sustainable Future”
19The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered opening remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the Law Week 30th Anniversary
20The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG received the Grand Bauhinia Medal
21The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered a speech at the Hong Kong Scout 110th Anniversary – Scout Day
26His Honour Judge Johnny CHAN, District Judge, and Miss Anna LAI Yuen-kee, SC were appointed as Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court

December
3Ms Esther LEUNG, Judiciary Administrator, and 15 staff from the Judiciary Administration attended a webinar on the use of technology in courts hosted by the Supreme People’s Court
8The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered a speech at the Annual General Meeting of The Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention, Hong Kong