Pressure builds on Hong Kong Bar Association to remove new chairman over ties to British political party

Pro-establishment barristers are calling for Paul Harris to step down over his membership of Britain’s Liberal Democrats

But the association has no rule barring council members from political affiliation and previous head Rimsky Yuen was a delegate to Guangdong’s top advisory body

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Paul Harris, the newly elected chairman of Hong Kong Bar Association. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 10:00am, 11 Feb 2021Updated: 10:32am, 11 Feb 2021

Pressure is mounting on the Hong Kong Bar Association’s governing council to decide whether Paul Harris SC should remain as chairman after it emerged he is a member of the British Liberal Democrats.

Prominent barristers in the pro-establishment camp claim Harris, an experienced human rights lawyer, has damaged the credibility of the professional body that represents more than 1,500 barristers and senior counsels.

They argue he should have at least declared his political affiliation before his election last month, although leaders of the opposition camp have defended Harris, saying he has been caught in the tug of war between the association and Beijing over how “rule of law” operates in Hong Kong.

I will not be playing any part in British politics while I am Bar chairman

Paul Harris

His membership of the Liberal Democrats is also being viewed by some as problematic given the soured relationship between the government and Britain over London’s creation of a new pathway to citizenship for millions of Hongkongers eligible for British National (Overseas) status due to concerns over the national security law. Hong Kong announced last month the passports could no longer be used for travel and last week said banks would no longer accept them as identification.

Harris, who was called to the Bar in 1993 and became a senior counsel in 2006, noted that under association rules chairmen were free to belong to a political party and were not required to disclose the affiliation.

“I will not be playing any part in British politics while I am Bar chairman, [and] I am not a member of any Hong Kong political party,” he told the Post on Wednesday.

Since winning the uncontested election last month, Harris has attracted criticism from Beijing’s representatives over his views on the national security law. He said he would explore the possibility of “getting the Hong Kong government to agree to some modifications” to the security law, which was imposed by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, the country’s top legislative body, last June. Harris suggested some provisions were at odds with rights guaranteed under the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution.

Pressure builds on Hong Kong Bar Association to remove new chairman over ties to British political party

Pro-establishment barristers are calling for Paul Harris to step down over his membership of Britain’s Liberal Democrats But the association has no rule barring council members from political affiliation and previous head Rimsky Yuen was a delegate to Guangdong’s top advisory body

Pro-establishment barristers are calling for Paul Harris to step down over his membership of Britain’s Liberal Democrats

But the association has no rule barring council members from political affiliation and previous head Rimsky Yuen was a delegate to Guangdong’s top advisory body