Hong Kong prosecutor who sought tougher penalties for protesters elevated to senior counsel
- Vinci Lam promoted by Department of Justice just one year after qualifying as barrister
- But legal insiders point to her ample experience and say she is more reasonable than some of her counterparts
A seasoned Hong Kong prosecutor who successfully obtained tougher punishments for young anti-government protesters has been promoted to the prestigious rank of senior counsel.
Vinci Lam Wing-sai was previously admitted as a solicitor and qualified as a barrister last year. Legal insiders said being made senior counsel in such a short time was rare, but they also recognised her ample experience and praised her as more reasonable than some of her counterparts at the Department of Justice.
Chief Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung announced the appointment by the deputy director of public prosecution on Tuesday.
The 47-year-old will be called a silk – referring to the material of her new barrister gown as opposed to the wool or cotton ones worn by her junior counterparts – at a ceremony on May 29.
Three other barristers, Philip Chau Ka-chun, Law Man-chung and Norman Nip Sum-ping, were also promoted to senior counsel. The chief justice grants the title to the city’s most outstanding barristers annually in recognition of their work.
Lam recently argued in the appeal court for a custodial sentence for a 16-year-old who had pleaded guilty to an arson charge after hurling a petrol bomb at the Chai Wan Police Married Quarters in late 2019. A lower court had handed the teen, who suffers from Asperger syndrome, a probation order, which Lam said was insufficient. Three appeal court judges sided with her and sent the protester to a training centre.
During the hearing, Lam also urged the court to set aside a three-decade-old rule and allow prosecutors to recommend specific punishments for various offenders, but the chief justice of the High Court immediately rejected the request.
