The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:

     The Judiciary today (April 17) announced the appointment of Ms Monica Chow Wai-choo, Ms Chak Kwok-yee, Mr Lam Chak-ming, Ms Eleanor Yeung Yee-na, Miss Jo Siu Chi-wan, Mr Lung Gwun-ting, Miss Minnie Wat Lai-man, Mr Peter Yu Chun-cheung and Mr Jeffrey Sze Cho-yiu as Permanent Magistrates. All appointments are made by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission. They will take effect from April 20, 2020.

     The biographical notes of the nine appointees are as follows:

Ms Monica Chow Wai-choo

     Ms Chow was born in Malaysia in 1964. She obtained an LL.B. from Queen Mary College, University of London, in 1985 and completed the Bar Vocational Course of the Gray’s Inn in the United Kingdom in 1986. She was called to the Bar in Hong Kong in 1988. She has been in private practice since 1990.

Ms Chak Kwok-yee

     Ms Chak was born in Hong Kong. She completed the Common Professional Examinations of the Manchester Metropolitan University in 2003 and obtained a P.C.LL. from the University of Hong Kong in 2004.  She further acquired an LL.M. in Arbitration and Dispute Resolution from the University of Hong Kong in 2008. She became a Mediator accredited by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution in 2009. She was called to the Bar in Hong Kong in 2005. She has been in private practice since 2006.
 
 
Mr Lam Chak-ming

     Mr Lam was born in Hong Kong in 1973. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from the University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, in 1997. He obtained an LL.B. from the University of London (External) in 2002 and a P.C.LL. from the University of Hong Kong in 2003. He further acquired an LL.M. in International Economic Law and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Laws, both from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, in 2012 and 2019 respectively.  He was admitted as a Solicitor in Hong Kong in 2007. He was in private practice from 2007 to 2009. He worked in the Official Receiver's Office as a Contract Solicitor between 2009 and 2015.  He has been appointed as a Judicial Associate (General) in the Judiciary for the period from 2015 to September 2017 and since 2018.

Ms Eleanor Yeung Yee-na

     Ms Yeung obtained an LL.B. from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom in 2007 and a P.C.LL. from the University of Hong Kong in 2008. She was awarded the British Chevening Scholarship in 2008 and further acquired a Bachelor of Civil Law Degree from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom in 2009.  She was called to the Bar in Hong Kong in 2010 and has been in private practice from the same year.

Miss Jo Siu Chi-wan

     Miss Siu was born in Hong Kong. She obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Surveying from the University of Hong Kong in 2003. She further obtained an LL.B. from the University of London in 2007 and a P.C.LL. from the University of Hong Kong in 2008. She was called to the Bar in Hong Kong in 2009.  She was in private practice for the period from 2009 to 2010.  She worked in the Department of Justice as a Government Counsel between 2010 and 2011. She has resumed private practice as Barrister since 2011.

Mr Lung Gwun-ting

     Mr Lung was born in Hong Kong in 1980. He obtained an LL.B. and a P.C.LL., both from the University of Hong Kong, in 2002 and 2003 respectively. He further acquired a Master of Arts Degree in Social Work (Family-Centred Practice and Family Therapy) from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2017.  He is an accredited General Mediator, Family Mediator and Family Mediation Supervisor by the Hong Kong Mediation Accreditation Association Limited.  He was admitted as a Solicitor in Hong Kong in 2005 and has been in private practice from the same year.

Miss Minnie Wat Lai-man

     Miss Wat was born in Hong Kong in 1984. She obtained an LL.B. and a P.C.LL., both from the City University of Hong Kong, in 2006 and 2007 respectively.  She was called to the Bar in Hong Kong in 2008 and has been in private practice from the same year.

Mr Peter Yu Chun-cheung

     Mr Yu was born in Mainland China in 1984.  He obtained an LL.B. and a P.C.LL., both from the City University of Hong Kong, in 2006 and 2007 respectively.  He obtained a Master of Laws Degree in International Trade and Commercial Law from the University of Durham in the United Kingdom in 2009. He was called to the Bar in Hong Kong in 2009 and has been in private practice from the same year.

Mr Jeffrey Sze Cho-yiu

     Mr Sze was born in Hong Kong in 1986. He obtained an LL.B. and a P.C.LL., both from the City University of Hong Kong, in 2009 and 2010 respectively. He was called to the Bar in Hong Kong in 2011 and has been in private practice from the same year.

Ends/Friday, April 17, 2020
Issued at HKT 16:00

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