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CUHK Appoints Former Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma as Honorary Professor of Law
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has appointed former Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong SAR Judiciary, Dr. the Honourable Geoffrey Ma Tao-li, GBM QC SC, as Honorary Professor of Law with effect from 1 April 2021. Dr. Ma will play an important role in advising the Faculty of Law on the development of legal education.
Professor Rocky S. Tuan, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK, said, “Dr. Ma had served on the Hong Kong Judiciary for over two decades and his contributions to Hong Kong’s legal system and legal education are tremendous. CUHK is honoured to welcome Dr. Ma to join us as Honorary Professor of Law. His wealth of experience and legal expertise are bound to bring valuable advice and benefits to our students. I would like to express our sincere thanks to Dr. Ma for accepting the appointment.”
Professor Lutz-Christian Wolff, Dean of Law added, “We are delighted to have such an outstanding personality on board. Students and colleagues will gain a lot from working with Dr. Ma.”
Dr. the Honourable Geoffrey Ma was Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong from 2010 to 2021. He studied law and graduated with an LLB from Birmingham University. 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. Dr. Ma was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1993. He became an Honorary Bencher of Gray’s Inn in 2004, an Honorary Fellow of Harris Manchester College, Oxford in 2012, an Officier de l’Ordre de la Legion d’Honneur by the French Government in 2015, and an Honorary Bencher of the Middle Temple in 2016. He was admitted to the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, by the University of Birmingham in 2011, CUHK in 2016, the University of Hong Kong in 2019 and the Lingnan University in 2020. Dr. Ma was awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal in June 2012.
Dr. Ma was appointed a Recorder of the High Court of Hong Kong Judiciary in 2000 and a Judge of the Court of First Instance in 2001. He was appointed a Justice of Appeal in 2002, and became Chief Judge of the High Court in 2003. Before joining the Judiciary, he was in private practice in Hong Kong and in Singapore.
Dr. Ma is a Patron of the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law and the International Advocacy Training Council.
Professor Rocky S. Tuan (left), Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK presents an appointment certificate of honorary professorship to Dr. the Honourable Geoffrey Ma (right).
(From 3rd left) Professor Rocky S. Tuan, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK, Dr. the Honourable Geoffrey Ma, (From 1st left) Professor Fok Tai Fai and Professor Sham Mai Har, Pro-Vice-Chancellors of CUHK, (From 2nd right) Professor Alan K.L. Chan, Provost of CUHK, and Professor Lutz-Christian Wolff, Dean of Law.
