Events
CUHK 50th Anniversary Distinguished Lecture by The Honourable Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma on "The Essence of Our Society: from a Written Constitution to Reality and into the Future 50 Years"
22 Mar 2013
4:30 pm
Lecture Theatre 6, 1/F, Lee Shau Kee Building, CUHK
Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma Tao-li was appointed Chief Justice of Hong Kong on 1 September 2010.
Chief Justice Ma joined the Hong Kong Judiciary as Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court in 2001. He was appointed Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court in 2002, and Chief Judge of the High Court in 2003.
Chief Justice Ma graduated with an LL.B from Birmingham University in 1977. He completed his Bar Finals in 1978. He was called to the English Bar (Gray’s Inn) in 1978, the Hong Kong Bar in 1980, the Bar of the State of Victoria in Australia in 1983 and the Bar of Singapore in 1990. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1993 and made an Honorary Bencher of Gray’s Inn in 2004. He was admitted to the degree of Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) by the University of Birmingham in 2011. He was awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal by the HKSAR Government in June 2012 and was granted an Honorary Fellowship by Harris Manchester College of the University of Oxford in November 2012.
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Prior to 1 July 1997, the system of law in operation in Hong Kong was firmly the common law. From that day to this, the common law is still our legal system, but with one difference. Hong Kong is now governed by its own constitution, the Basic Law, which – in terms which are unequivocal – preserves the common law in Hong Kong and one of its most, if not the most, important characteristics, the independence of the Judiciary. The facets of the common law all contribute to a system which allows the community to function as Hong Kong in the past fifty years has aspired to be: progressive, ambitious, socially conscious, international and at peace with itself.
These facets of the common law – the respect for the dignity and rights of the individual, the independence of a judiciary to enforce rights and liberties where needed, the imperative of reasoning and above all the respect for the law and its spirit – should be matters which the community ought to be able to take for granted. They are the starting point for all judges and pervade the discharge of their duties.
Confidence in the legal system provides the peace of mind to enable a community to function in the multitude of ways a society operates. It is not just about how the law functions from day to day. After all, most people will never encounter a court in their lives but everyone will want the comfort of knowing that the law is there to protect them and their families. Confidence in a good system is what ensures its longevity. As the community faces whatever challenges appear in the future, it will want to retain all those institutions that have served the community well in the past and which will do so again in the future.
The lecture will be conducted in English
Should the online registration for admission to the event venue is full, kindly click here to register for viewing live broadcast at Lecture Theatre 5, UG/F, Lee Shau Kee Building, CUHK.
