New Hong Kong Bar Association chief draws line in sand on political issues, but says body will continue to speak out on rule of law
- Commercial law specialist Victor Dawes elected unopposed as chairman; criminal lawyer Derek Chan and corporate lawyer Jose-Antonio Maurellet new vice-chairmen
- The three low-profile barristers have no history of commenting on social issues unlike leadership teams of previous years
The new chairman of Hong Kong’s Bar Association has moved to immediately draw a line in the sand on political issues, after he and two other low-profile barristers took over the leadership reins of the outspoken legal body which has been a target of pro-Beijing media.
Senior counsel Victor Dawes, a commercial law specialist who was elected unopposed to the top post on Thursday, said that while the body would continue to speak out on issues relating to the rule of law, political matters should not be its concern.
Dawes, a Hong Kong-born resident, succeeds Paul Harris SC, who has stayed out of the public eye for months after becoming a target of condemnation by pro-Beijing groups last year.
Taking on the role of vice-chairmen of the association, the professional regulatory body for the city’s 1,500 barristers, are criminal law specialist Derek Chan Ching-lung SC and commercial lawyer Jose-Antonio Maurellet SC.
The new chairman acknowledged that society had expectations of him and his colleagues to speak out on issues related to the rule of law. “We will of course do our very best,” the 44-year-old said.
But he added: “The Bar Association is a professional body. Purely political issues have nothing to do with the Bar Association, although sometimes they overlap with legal issues. That is something we have to decide accurately.”
The changes come amid a rapid deterioration in the relationship between Beijing and the legal body, sparking fears the association could follow the fate of unions and civil rights groups that have disbanded over the past year.
