The Secretary for Justice () is the head of the Hong Kong Department of Justice, the chief legal advisor to the

Chief Executive of Hong Kong The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is the representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and head of the Government of Hong Kong. The position was created to replace the office of governor of ...

, and the chief law enforcement officer of the

Government of Hong Kong The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the executive authorities of Hong Kong SAR. It was formed on 1 July 1997 in accordance with the Sino- ...

. Before the Transfer of the Sovereignty in 1997, the position was known as the

Attorney-General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...

. The Secretary for Justice, nominated by the

Chinese government The Government of the People's Republic of China () is an authoritarian political system in the People's Republic of China under the exclusive political leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It consists of legislative, executive, m ...

on the advice of the

, is an ''ex officio'' member of the

Executive Council of Hong Kong The Executive Council of Hong Kong (ExCo) is the cabinet of the Government of Hong Kong, acting as a formal body of advisers to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong that serves as a core policy-making organ assisting the Chief Executive. It is ...

. The Secretary takes office after appointment by the

Government of the People's Republic of China The Government of the People's Republic of China () is an authoritarian political system in the People's Republic of China under the exclusive political leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It consists of legislative, executive, mili ...

, which is responsible for Hong Kong's

foreign affairs ''Foreign Affairs'' is an American magazine of international relations and U.S. foreign policy published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership organization and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy a ...

and

defence Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indus ...

. The Secretary for Justice also belongs to the Policy Committee, which is chaired by the Chief Secretary, The Office of the Secretary for Justice was established by the

Hong Kong Basic Law The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China is a national law of China that serves as the organic law for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Comprising nine chapters, 160 a ...

, which guarantees the power of the Department of Justice to control criminal prosecutions free from any interference.Article 63, Hong Kong Basic Law The position is normally held by a legal professional, and was, before July 2002, a civil service position. The Secretary for Justice, after the Chief Secretary and the Financial Secretary, is one of the three highest Principal Officials of the Government. The current Secretary for Justice is

Paul Lam Paul Lam Ting-kwok (; born 1968) is a Hong Kong Senior Counsel who is the current Secretary for Justice. Education Lam was educated at Wah Yan College, Hong Kong. He obtained a Bachelor of Laws (with Second Class Honour Division One) in 1 ...

, SBS, SC, JP.

Role

In the course of discharging his or her duties as the chief legal advisor to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, the Secretary for Justice is assisted by five law officers, namely: * the Solicitor General who heads the Legal Policy Division, * the

Director of Public Prosecutions The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is the office or official charged with the prosecution of criminal offences in several criminal jurisdictions around the world. The title is used mainly in jurisdictions that are or have been members o ...

who head the Prosecutions Division, * the Law Officer (Civil Law) who heads the Civil Law Division, * the Law Officer (International Law) who heads the International Law Division, and * the Law Draftsman who heads the Law Drafting Division (The Administration and Development Division is headed by an Administrative Officer.)

Ranking in the Hong Kong Government

The Secretary for Justice is the third in line, after the Chief Secretary and the Financial Secretary, to act for the Chief Executive when he or she is on leave, outside Hong Kong, or when the position is otherwise temporarily vacant. The Secretary for Justice ranks fifth in the

Hong Kong order of precedence The Hong Kong order of precedence is a nominal and symbolic hierarchy of important positions within the Government of Hong Kong. Administered by the government's Protocol Division, the hierarchy does not determine the order of succession for the o ...

Residence

The Secretary for Justice has an official residence at 19 Severn Road, The Peak. Opened in 1934 for use by Attorney General Hong Kong.

Pre-1997 position

Before the 1997 handover to China, the position was known as the

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

(), and the department was known as the

Legal Department The Legal Department, headed by the Attorney General, was the department responsible for the laws of Hong Kong until 1997, when Hong Kong ceased to be a British crown colony. The department was responsible for dealing with criminal cases an ...

() and was also known as the Attorney General's Chambers (). The office of the Attorney General was never localized during British rule and no Hong Kong Chinese ever held this key post.

List of Secretaries/Attorneys General

Attorneys General, 1844–1997

Secretaries for Justice, 1997–present

Political party:

References

{{Secretary for Justice (Hong Kong) Justice, Secretary for Prosecution Legal professions Justice ministers