*********************
The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:
The Judiciary today (April 23) announced the appointment of Her Honour Judge Bebe Pui Ying Chu, Principal Family Court Judge; His Honour Judge David Lok; His Honour Judge Joseph Yau Chi-lap; and His Honour Judge Albert Wong Sung-hau as Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court. The appointments will take effect from April 24, 2015.
The appointments are made by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission.
The biographical notes of the four appointees are as follows:
Her Honour Judge Bebe Pui Ying Chu
Her Honour Judge Chu was born in Hong Kong in 1952. She obtained her LL.B. and P.C.LL. from the University of Hong Kong in 1974 and 1975 respectively. She was admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong in 1977 and was called to the Bar in New York, the US, in 1986. She was admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales in 1990 and in Singapore in 1991. She was in private practice between 1977 and 2003. She joined the Judiciary as District Judge in 2003 and was appointed as Principal Family Court Judge in 2009.
His Honour Judge David Lok
His Honour Judge Lok was born in Hong Kong in 1965. He obtained his LL.B. and P.C.LL. from the University of Hong Kong in 1987 and 1988 respectively. He further obtained a Master of Laws Degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom in 1989. He was called to the Bar in Hong Kong in 1988. He was in private practice between 1990 and 1995. He joined the Judiciary as Magistrate in 1995 and was appointed as District Judge in 2001.
His Honour Judge Joseph Yau Chi-lap
His Honour Judge Yau was born in Hong Kong in 1953. He obtained his LL.B. and P.C.LL. from the University of Hong Kong in 1982 and 1983 respectively. He was called to the Bar in Hong Kong in 1985. He joined the then Legal Department as Assistant Crown Counsel in 1986, and was promoted to Crown Counsel in 1987 and to Senior Crown Counsel in 1989. He was in private practice between 1995 and 1998. He joined the Judiciary as Magistrate in 1998 and was appointed as District Judge in 2007.
His Honour Judge Albert Wong Sung-hau
His Honour Judge Wong was born in Hong Kong in 1957. He obtained his LL.B. from the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom in 1989 and completed the Bar Finals Course from the City of London Polytechnics, United Kingdom in 1990. In 1990, he was called to the Bar in England and Wales and in Hong Kong. He was also admitted as a Barrister of the High Court of Australia and as a Barrister and Solicitor in the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory in the same year. He joined the then Legal Department as Assistant Crown Counsel in 1990, and was promoted to Crown Counsel in 1991 and to Senior Crown Counsel in 1994. He joined the Judiciary as Magistrate in 2000 and was appointed as District Judge in 2009.
Ends/Thursday, April 23, 2015
Issued at HKT 16:00
NNNN