HKBA vice-chair urges law students to uphold justice and integrity at PCLL opening ceremony

Hong Kong Bar Association (HKBA) vice-chairman Martin Hui Siu-ting urged the new class of the University of Hong Kong's Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL) program to cherish their time at university, drawing on his own experiences as he addressed the opening ceremony.

"As future barristers, solicitors and judges, the duty to uphold the rule of law is in your very hands," Hui said. "Our ultimate allegiance is to the administration of justice. We must act with absolute integrity and honesty." 

Hui noted that the responsibility of legal professionals is to provide professional and competent representation for clients, but not to be their mouthpiece. 

"This is the hallmark of our profession and the reason why the public reposes trust and confidence in us. These values should not be compromised under any circumstances."

Hui added that the PCLL is not just another set of exams for students to pass, but an important milestone marking their transition from a student to a practitioner. 

"It is the bridge between the academic theory of law and the reality of its practice," he stressed.