Spring 2005 - Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong

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35TH ANNIVERSARY EVENTS SOME MEMORABLE MOMENTS TO SHARE: Professor Tsui and Professor Chan (first and second from left in the back row) with Class 1986. A happy get-together for members of Class 1985. Madam Justice Yuen (LLB 1975) gave a warm greeting to her former teacher Bernard Downey. Members of Class 1980. The event was graced by the presence of Christopher Cheng (first from left), Dr. Philip Wong and the Vice-Chancellor (second and first from right). Members of Class 1981 with their former teacher, Robert Allcock. More than 20 members of Class 1982 attended the Reunion. Ms. Bernadette Tsui, Director of the DAAO, HKU, with Kenneth Kwok SC and Edward Chan SC (both graduates of Class 1972). Graduates from different years gathered together: (from left) Audrey Eu SC (LLB 1975), Janice Kwan (LLB 1979), Alice Tai (LLB 1973), Anne Choi (LLB 1975), Lucy Yen, Amy Liu (both LLB 1972) and Yvonne Chua (LLB 1977). Members of Class 1987 and Class 1996. Margaret Ng was having a chat with Denis Chang SC (left) and Professor Yash Ghai of the Faculty (right). Dr. Miron Mushkat and Professor Roda Mushkat bidding farewell to Mrs. Rhodes. A group of Class 1983. About 40 members from their Class were present on this memorable occasion. Joseph Tse (third from right at the back row) with colleagues at Allen & Overy. Joseph Tse (third from right in the back row) with colleagues at Allen & Overy. The guests were having a relaxed and good time. (From left) Master de Souza, Daisy Tong, Amy Liu, Lucy Yen, Mok Yeuk Chi and Ronny Tong SC (all of Class 1972). Members of Class 1984. Lucille Au (left) and Au Miu Po (right) both of Class 1973 with Professor Evans. Taking one more picture with the founding and former teachers before leaving the Hall (from left): Professor Rear, Janice Kwan, Bernard Downey, Professor Evans, Katherine Lo (LLB 1979), Robert Allcock and Professor Albert Chen of the Faculty. 6 7
35TH ANNIVERSARY EVENTS SPECIAL FEATURE About 300 alumni attended the Reunion Dinner held at Loke Yew Hall on 4 December 2004. A big “THANK YOU” must be extended to the Law Alumni Association and the Reunion Dinner Organizing Sub-Committee for their tireless efforts in making the occasion such a happy reunion for those who came. Yet such a good turnout would not have been possible without the help of some twenty “class representatives” of the different LLB classes. To all of them the faculty is deeply gateful for their invaluable support. Here is an account by one of our dedicated “class representatives” of how she managed to persuade 38 of her old classmates to come to the Reunion Dinner. A happy reunion for Caroline (first from left in the back row) and her old classmates at the Dinner. It all began with the reading of the last issue of this Newsletter. Eva Lau of my class wrote an article about her days in the Law School (as it then was) and beyond. Having read it, I have come to realize that I actually do not know much about my classmates, although I was considered a very active person in my class then. The notes I took at lectures were hot lending items, certainly not because of their quality (as for such a purpose the notes of Mabel Ng would be preferred) but because of my slavish attendance at all lectures, they being so enjoyable to me then. Quite a few persons who could not make it at the appointed time for such bestowments of intelligence by our dear lecturers would ask to make photocopies of my notes. In view of this and also in view of the small size of the class then, I knew each of my classmates to different degrees. After having left the Law School for twenty years, I am still in constant contact with a good bunch of my friends. There are also a few handfuls that I bumped into from time to time and had had a good chat on such occasions. To me, all these moments were cherishing and often endearing. If only they could be shared by all my other classmates. It was then that the thought of seizing this opportunity of having a reunion on the occasion of the dinner to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the now Law Faculty came to me. I personally called each of the classmates that I could think of and still had their contacts. The turnout was impressive. I might not have been able to catch up on all that had happened to my classmates during the dinner, but I have the feeling that we all had a good time. The smiles on our faces in the photographs tell me that we are almost ready for another reunion already. Wait to hear from me, dear friends. I hope I will be meeting more of you the next time. COMING HIGHLIGHT: International Conference on Professional Ethics 19 & 21 March 2005 Professional ethics has become a topical issue not only for the legal profession but also the community in recent years. As part of the 35th Anniversary celebration programmes, the Law Faculty will host an international conference on professional ethics on HKU campus on 19 March 2005 (Saturday). The conference will bring together leading local and international professionals and academics to discuss and share views on current issues in judicial and lawyers’ ethics in Hong Kong and other jurisdictions. Many distinguished speakers are invited to participate in the conference. The morning session of the conference will focus on the topic of “Judicial Ethics” and the speakers will include The Honourable Sir Anthony Mason (Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal) and The Honourable Mr. Justice Patrick Chan (Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal). The afternoon session will cover the topic of “Lawyer Ethics” and the speakers will include Mr. Edward Chan SC (Past Chairman of the Bar Association), Mr. Peter Lo (Vice President of Law Society), and Professor Adrian Evans from Monash University, Australia. After the conference, all speakers will assemble in Beijing the following day to attend a similar conference on professional ethics co-organized by our faculty and Tsinghua Caroline Chow (LLB 1983) Law School to be held on 21 March. This represents another important collaboration between the two law schools in areas of common interests and concerns. We welcome you to attend the conference held on campus on 19 March. Please visit our faculty website for more information on the conference and registration details. We look forward to seeing you at the conference! Professor Adrian Evans Mr. Edward Chan SC Mr. Peter Lo Anna Wu on The Role of Law Anna Wu (LLB 1974, PCLL 1975), a graduate of our Faculty, is widely respected by both the legal profession and the community at large. She is currently the Chairperson of the PCLL Academic Board of our Faculty, in which role she oversees the reform of our PCLL programme. In this article, Anna shares with us her interesting life journey from being a law student through careers in both the private and public sectors to her current position as the Adviser to the Law School of Shantou University. The 35th anniversary night of the Law Faculty was truly a stellar and memorable occasion. Graduates and teachers gathered at Loke Yew Hall – the place that marked the beginning of higher learning in Hong Kong. The Law Faculty first started in a two low twostorey buildings at the junction of Seymour Road and Caine Road, with stairs so narrow that only one person could get through at any one time, housed the students, the teaching and administrative staff and a small library. There was a small common room for students. Generally the students gathered in the library, eating, chatting until we were shooed away by someone. These buildings are now long gone and have been replaced by a park. The establishment of the Law Department in 1969 marked the beginning of locally educated and qualified lawyers. Beginning with the small close knit group of law students closeted away at Caine Road, came the lawyers, judges, legislators, heads of public bodies, government officials, leaders in business, education and the community. This was a remarkable feat and a significant move for Hong Kong. It was important for Hong Kong to have an institution to sustain the development of the profession and to build a community of professionals deeply rooted in Hong Kong. I wish to pay my heartfelt tributes to those who started it, Professor Dafydd Evans, the first Dean, and those who were there with him, Mr. Bernard Downey and Professor John Rear of the original teaching staff, as well as Mr. Peter Rhodes, a later Dean, who attended the dinner celebration. Then came the generation of teaching staff who themselves were graduates of the Law Faculty. This group of teachers is represented by Professor Johannes Chan and Professor Albert Chen. I give them three big cheers. I remember applying to the University of Hong Kong to study law over three decades ago. My public exam results were barely good enough for me to enter the University of Hong Kong but were not good enough for me to pick and choose any course I wanted. In the end it was two things that got me into law. The first was someone telling me that it was a new faculty and therefore easy to get into and the second was someone else saying that disliking the study of law was not a good reason for not applying as I would learn to like it in time.To make a long story short, I was accepted to study law. It subsequently transpired that the Faculty accepted only one out of every nine applicants and competition was keen. I did not have the faintest idea why I was picked. I was not motivated to study law because I had not understood what its significance was. This lack of interest was compounded by the fact that law was taught in compartments as tort, contract, evidence, taxation, public administration, constitutional law etc. Real life is not at all like that. Neither client nor judge would tell you what your reading list should be for the week or that you would be examined on one single compartment of law. I was acquiring knowledge and that process was tedious for me without looking at the less clear cut, more risky end of application. I muddled my way through and I graduated. The highlights for me during my years at the University were walking up to the Peak with my fellow classmates on crisp autumn days, going down to a side street in Western for a bowl of congee in the middle of the night, arguing with each other over just about anything, criticizing our teachers, watching someone doze off, head bouncing and drooling in class and finally graduating and getting the alumni medal. I did enjoy the moot trials and the tutorials where my mind was allowed more freedom. Perhaps it was because that I did not actively choose to go into law that I was anxious to get out of it after my first degree. I wanted to experience the world and I applied for a UN job. What saved me was that the UN actually responded to me, saying that because I did not have a second degree or any working experience, it had no job for me. It was at that point that I decided to continue my legal studies and to complete my PCLL and training. I realized I would go nowhere if I did not finish it. It was during my time as a trainee in a solicitor’s firm that I became more interested in law. Thinking back it was really a scary experience. My client’s fortune and life were in my hands and it 8 9
Page 1 and 2: DEAN’S MESSAGE There are consider
Page 3: 35TH ANNIVERSARY EVENTS Reunion Din
Page 7 and 8: FACULTY NEWS UNIVERSITY TEACHING FE
Page 9 and 10: CENTRE FOR COMPARATIVE AND PUBLIC L
Page 11 and 12: ALUMNI COLUMN News from The HKU Law

Spring 2005 - Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong

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