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The Government announced today (October 24) the appointment of Mr Robert Charles Allcock as Solicitor General with effect from August 17, 2000. Mr Allcock has been selected for the post through an open recruitment cum promotion exercise.

The Solicitor General post is ranked at Law Officer (DL6) level. The Solicitor General is the head of the Legal Policy Division of the Department of Justice and is responsible for the development of legal policy issues and giving advice on complex and sensitive legal issues.

Speaking on Mr Allcock's appointment, the Secretary for Justice, Ms Elsie Leung, expressed full confidence in Mr Allcock in meeting the challenges and responsibilities of the new appointment.

"Mr Allcock is a distinguished lawyer with wide professional experience and outstanding leadership. He commands high respect both within the Department of Justice and in the legal profession. I am sure that he will rise to the challenge of the new appointment and continue to provide effective support to the Administration," Ms Leung said.

Brief biographical notes on Mr Allcock is as follows:

Mr Robert Charles Allcock, BBS

Mr Allcock, aged 53, was admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales in 1971 and as a solicitor in Hong Kong in 1983. He had 13 years of working experience in the academic field, being the Head of the Department of Law in the University of Hong Kong in 1986, when he joined the then Legal Department as a Senior Crown Counsel.

In the past 14 years in the Department of Justice, Mr Allcock has worked in the Law Drafting Division, the Legal Policy Division and the Secretary for Justice's Office. He was promoted to the rank of Deputy Principal Crown Counsel (now Deputy Principal Government Counsel) in 1990 and to Principal Crown Counsel (now Principal Government Counsel) in 1992. He has been acting as Law Officer in the post of Solicitor General since August 1999.

He is married with 2 children.

End/Tuesday, October 24, 2000

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