CUHK
News Centre

The Council of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has approved the appointment of Prof. Christopher Gane as Dean of the Faculty of Law with effect from end of September 2011.  

Prof. Christopher Gane is Professor of Scots Law and Vice-Principal of the University of Aberdeen. He was Dean of the Faculty of Law from 1995 to 2000. He was appointed Vice-Principal in 2004 and has been Head of the College of Arts and Social Sciences since 2008. Prior to his appointment at Aberdeen he held full-time academic appointments at the Universities of Reading, Edinburgh, Lancaster (where he was Head of the School of Law from 1986 to 1989) and Sussex (where he was Director of the Centre of Legal Studies from 1991 to 1994), as well as holding adjunct and visiting professorships at the University of Notre Dame (USA) and the University of Antwerp (Belgium). 

Professor Gane remarked, ’I am delighted, and honoured, to have been offered the position as Dean of the Faculty of Law at the Chinese University. This is the University’s newest Faculty, and it has made great progress since its creation just a few short years ago. It has quickly placed itself at the forefront of legal education in Hong Kong, and has a growing international reputation for research across a wide range of legal specialism, drawing on the rich diversity of expertise offered by its truly international faculty. I look forward to working with colleagues to build upon those achievements.’ 

Professor Gane’s research and teaching interests include domestic criminal law, international criminal law and human rights. He is a prolific writer and his published works include A Casebook on Scottish Criminal Law; Criminal Procedure in Scotland: Cases and Materials; Sexual Offences; Criminal Procedure Systems in the European Community; Human Rights and the Administration of Justice. He also writes book reviews in various major law journals including Journal of the Society of Public Teachers of Law; Legal Studies; Lloyds Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly; Scottish Law Gazette; British Yearbook of International Law. 

Further to his commitment to education and research, Professor Gane has made significant contributions to the legal system in Scotland. He has acted as a consultant to the Scottish Executive in respect of their Human Rights obligations under the Scotland Act 1998 and the Human Rights Act 1998, and has acted as advisor to the Scottish Parliament on a number of criminal law, criminal justice and criminal procedure Bills, most recently the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill 2009 and as advisor to the Scottish Government on European Union criminal law and procedure. He was a member of the committee appointed by the Secretary of State for Scotland to review the Law on disposals of serious violent and serious sex offenders and a member of the Sentencing Commission for Scotland throughout its term of appointment. He was appointed an Honorary Sheriff of Grampian Highland and Islands at Aberdeen in 1997.

The University is grateful to Prof. Mike McConville for his dedicated service since the Faculty’s inception. Under Professor McConville’s capable leadership in the past six years, the Faculty of Law has made remarkable progress. Upon completing his term of office as Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor McConville will continue to serve as Professor of Law and Simon F.S. Li Professor of Law. 

In accordance with the guidelines and procedures for the search and appointment of faculty deans, the University formed a search committee to launch a worldwide search for the next Dean of the Faculty of Law since May 2010. Having thoroughly considered 29 applications/nominations received, the Search Committee finally recommended Prof. Christopher Gane for the position. In line with the appointment procedures, Professor Gane met with teachers and students of the Faculty of Law earlier to exchange ideas on the future developments of the Faculty, and the Council subsequently appointed him as Dean of the Faculty of Law. Professor Gane will serve for a term of five years.