The Solicitor General of Hong Kong is head of the Legal Policy Division of the Department of Justice () in Hong Kong. He (to date no woman has held the post) is responsible for the development of legal policy, advising the Secretary for Justice (called the Attorney General before 1997) on legal issues, and overseeing the department's staff and legislative programme.
History
The position of Solicitor General in Hong Kong was created after the end of World War II.Para 6, Preamble to Paragraph 6 Legal Officers Bill, 1950, [ Legco Debate 22 February 1950 The Solicitor General acted as the deputy of the Attorney General and regularly appeared in court.
The position was abolished in 1979, but was later reinstated in 1981 as the head of the Legal Policy Division.Hansard 22 October 1980, Speech by Peter Wong at p87 and Grenville Cross, "Directors Great and Small", Hong Kong Lawyer July 2011
The Secretary for Justice is now assisted by five law officers, namely:
the Solicitor General who heads the Legal Policy Division, the Director of Public Prosecutions (formerly Crown Prosecutor) who head the Prosecutions Division, the Law Officer (Civil Law) (formerly Crown Solicitor) who heads the Civil Law Division, the Law Officer (International Law) who heads the International Law Division, and the Law Draftsman who heads the Law Drafting Division
Current holder
Mr. MUI Kei Fat, Llewellyn is the current Solicitor General. He was acting solicitor general for 1 year prior to his substantive appointment. He has served his entire career in the Department of Justice since 1992
Remuneration for the post is as a Law Officer which is Point 6 on the Directorate (Legal) Pay Scale. With effect from 1 April 2024, the pay was HK$287,990 (up from HK$201,950 in 2015) per month, together with housing allowance, 'leave passage allowance', and other benefits.Directorate (Legal) Pay Scale; [DOJ Advertisement for Law Draftsman, 2020 https://www.doj.gov.hk/en/career/add20200930a.html]; Advertisement in Hong Kong Lawyer January 2015
List of Solicitors General before 1997 No.Office holderTermNotes 1 George E Strickland, QCR v Lo Sau King and others 1962 HKLR 299 at 307 to 308 and Mr George Strickland Lauded on Appointment as KC, China Mail, October 25, 1951, p1 1947-1952 Came to Hong Kong in 1945 as Chief Legal Adviser to British Military Administration. Acting Attorney General prior to appointment. Appointed Attorney General for Sarawak in 1952.Obituary, Sarawak Gazette, 30 November 1957 2 Arthur Hooton, QCR v Lo Sau King and others 1962 HKLR 299 at 307 to 308 1952-1961 3 Maurice Heenan, QCWho's Who 2001, entry for Heenan 1961 Non-British-born (born in New Zealand). Appointed Attorney General in 1961. 4 Denys Roberts, QC 1962-1966 Appointed Attorney General in 1966. Later Colonial/Chief Secretary and Chief Justice. 5 Graham Sneath, QCHong Kong Who's Who, 1970-1973 entry for Sneath 1966-1973 6 John Hobley, QCWho's Who 1994 entry for Hobley 12 May - 29 September 1973 Appointed Attorney General in 1973. Retired and left Hong Kong 1979. 7 Garth Thorntonhttps://law.tulane.edu/international-legislative-drafting-institute/honorees Tulane Law School Honorees 1973-1979 Author of Thornton's Legislative Drafting None 1979-1981 Position abolished in 1979; reestablished in 1981.Speech By Peter C W Wong in Legco, Hansard 22 October 1980 at p87 8 Ray AstinWho's Who in Hong Kong 1984 entry for Astin. Full name is Ernest Raymond Astin 1981-1984 Full name was Ernest Raymond Astin 9 James Findlay, QCFindlay CV at 1984-1986 Later became Judge of the High Court. 10 Frank Stock, QC Judicial Appointment, 25 June 2009, Hong Kong Government press release 1987-1991 Became High Court Judge, Vice President of the Court of Appeal and then Non-Permanent Judge of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal 11 Bertrand de SpevilleKenya National Assembly Official Record (Hansard), 11 Jul 2000, p1515 1991-1993 British, born 16 June 1941, (Commissioner of ICAC, 1993-1996) Anthony Philip Duckett, QC (Acting Solicitor-General)1993 - 1994Australian, born 26 September 1937. (Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, 1984-1995). Became Judge of County Court of Victoria. 12 Daniel Richard Fung Wah-kin, QC (馮華健)Appointment to the post of Solicitor General, LC Paper No. CB(2)2359/99-00(03), 20 June 2000 1994 - 30 Jun 1997born c1954. Was appointed from private practice; Returned to private practice as senior counsel
List of Solicitors General After 1997 No.Office HolderTenure StartTenure EndLength of Tenure Appointed By Prior RoleSilk1Daniel Richard Fung Wah-kin, SBS, QC, SC, JP1 July 199730 August 1998Elsie LeungAssumed role; was last Solicitor General in British Hong Kong QC (1990)2Robert Charles Allcock, SBS17 August 200024 January 2007 Acting Solicitor General / Principal Government Counsel3Ian George McCurdy Wingfield, GBS25 January 20071 August 2010Wong Yan-lung, SCLaw Officer (International Law)4Frank Poon Ying-kwong2 August 20102 September 2015 Deputy Solicitor General5Wesley Wong Wai-chung, SC, JP3 September 201530 September 2021Rimsky Yuen, SCDeputy Director of Public Prosecutions SC (2013)6Llewellyn Mui Kei-fat15 September 2022IncumbentPaul Lam, SCPrincipal Government Counsel The incumbent Solicitor General is an unofficial Justice of the Peace, and is given the "JP" designation while in office; this designation is removed upon leaving office, unless officially appointed separately.
See also Solicitor General Attorney General Justice minister
References