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The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary :

The Judiciary today (Thursday) announced the appointment of two Justices of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, three Judges of the District Court, a Deputy Registrar of the High Court and four Permanent Magistrates.

Justices of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court :

Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, the Hon Mr Justice WOO Kwok-hing and the Hon Mr Justice Roberto Alexandre Vieira RIBEIRO are appointed Justices of Appeal of Court of Appeal of the High Court.

Judges of the District Court :

Principal Magistrates Mary YUEN Lai-wah and John Lansdale SAUNDERS, and Government counsel Mr Derek PANG Wai-cheong are appointed Judges of the District Court.

Deputy Registrar of the High Court :

Master Andy HO Chi-yin is appointed Deputy Registrar of

the High Court.

Permanent Magistrates :

Mr LAM Kui-po, Mr Lambert LEE Ka-chai, Mr HUI Ka-ho and Mr Jack WONG Kin-tong are appointed Permanent Magistrates.

All appointments will take effect on January 21, 2000 except the appointments of the Hon Mr Justice RIBEIRO and Mr Derek PANG which will become effective on January 27, 2000 and February 21, 2000 respectively.

The Honourable Chief Justice Andrew Kwok-nang LI welcomes the appointments. "The appointees are all very competent judges, judicial officers and lawyers who will contribute to the Judiciary in its commitment to uphold the rule of law and to maintain and foster an independent judicial system," he said.

The biographical notes of the newly-appointed Judges and Judicial Officers are as follows :

The Hon Mr Justice WOO Kwok-hing

Mr Justice WOO was born in Hong Kong in 1946. He was called to the English Bar in 1969 and the Hong Kong Bar in 1970. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1987. He had been in private practice since 1970. He has been Head of Department of Law & Business of Hong Kong Shue Yan College since 1986. He was appointed Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court since 1992.

The Hon Mr Justice Roberto Alexandre Vieira RIBEIRO

Mr Justice RIBEIRO was born in Hong Kong in 1949. He obtained his LL.B and LL.M from the London School of Economics in 1971 and 1972 respectively. He was called to the English Bar and the Hong Kong Bar in 1978, and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1990. He was a Lecturer in Law in the University of Hong Kong between 1972 and 1979 and took up private practice in 1979. He was appointed Recorder of the Court of First Instance of the High Court in 1997 and Judge of the Court of First Instance of High Court in 1999.

Ms Mary YUEN Lai-wah

Ms YUEN was born in Hong Kong in 1955. She graduated with Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws degrees from the University of Hong Kong in 1981 and 1988 respectively. She obtained her Diploma in Chinese Laws from University of East Asia, Macau in 1988. She was called to the Hong Kong Bar in 1983. She joined the Hong Kong Judiciary as Magistrate in 1991, was appointed Principal Magistrate in 1997 and has been acting Chief Magistrate, Deputy District Judge and Master since February 1999.

Mr John Lonsdale SAUNDERS

Mr SAUNDERS was born in New Zealand in 1946. He obtained LL.B from the Victoria University in Wellington in 1969. He was admitted as solicitor and called to the Bar in New Zealand in 1969 and 1970 respectively. He was admitted as solicitor in England and Wales in 1994 and as solicitor in Victoria and Australian Capital Territory in 1996. He was in private practice between 1968 and 1986. He joined the then Legal Department as Crown Counsel in 1987 and was promoted to Senior Crown Counsel in 1988. He was appointed Magistrate in 1990 and Principal Magistrate in 1999.

Mr Derek PANG Wai-cheong

Mr PANG was born in Hong Kong in 1961. He obtained LL.B. from University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom in 1985 and graduated from the Inns of Court School of Law in 1986. He obtained his Master of Public Administration in the University of Hong Kong in 1990 and LL.B. from Peking University in 1995. He was called to the English and Hong Kong Bar in 1986 and 1987 respectively. He joined the then Hong Kong Legal Department as Crown Counsel in 1987 and was promoted to Deputy Principal Government Counsel in 1997.

Mr Andy HO Chi-yin

Mr HO was born in Hong Kong in 1958. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences from Bristol University in 1981 and further his studies in the College of Law, Chester, between 1981 and 1984. He was admitted as solicitor in Hong Kong, England and Wales, Australian Capital Territory, and Singapore in 1987, 1991, 1991 and 1993 respectively. He joined the then Legal Department as an Articled Clerk in 1985 and became Crown Counsel in 1987. He was in private practice between 1987 and 1994 and was Part-time Law Lecturer in Hong Kong Polytechnic in 1986 and 87. He was appointed Magistrate of the Hong Kong Judiciary in 1995 and has been acting Master of the High Court since October 1998.

Mr William LAM Kui-po

Mr LAM was born in Hong Kong in 1947. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws from Adelaide University in Australia in 1987 and Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from South Australian Institute of Technology in 1988. He was an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an Associate of the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators in 1995 and 1997 respectively. He was admitted as barrister and solicitor in Australia in 1987. He was an Oral Surgeon before taking up private practice between 1987 and 1991. He joined the Legal Aid Department as Counsel in 1991. He joined the then Legal Department as Crown Counsel in 1992 and was promoted to Senior Government Counsel in 1997.

Mr Lambert LEE Ka-chai

Mr Lambert LEE Ka-chai was born in Hong Kong in 1955. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws from North East London Polytechnic in 1982. He was called to the English and Hong Kong Bar in 1986. He has been appointed Temporary Magistrate and Deputy Magistrate of the Hong Kong Judiciary on a number of occasions since 1995.

Mr HUI Ka-ho

Mr Hui was born in Hong Kong in 1963. He obtained his LL.B. and P.C.LL. from University of Hong Kong and was called to the Hong Kong Bar in 1988. Since then, he has been in private practice. He has been appointed Temporary Magistrate and Deputy Magistrate of the Hong Kong Judiciary on a number of occasions since 1995.

Mr Jack WONG Kin-tong

Mr WONG was born in Hong Kong in 1965. He obtained LL.B. and P.C.LL. from University of Hong Kong in 1988 and 1989, LL.M. from City University of Hong Kong, and People's University in the Republic of China in 1998 and 1999. He was admitted as solicitor in Hong Kong and in England and Wales in 1991 and 1993 respectively. He was in private practice from 1989. He has been appointed Deputy Adjudicator of the Small Claims Tribunal and Deputy Presiding Officer of the Labour Tribunal on a number of occasions since 1998.

End/Thursday, January 20, 2000

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