Professional, political camps battle for Law Society seats

With an election looming for the council of the Law Society of Hong Kong, some members of its "professional camp" - that means people linked largely with the SAR establishment - are worried pro-democrats could take control.

For some pro-democracy members of what is termed the "liberal camp" are keen to make political statements, sources told The Standard sister publication Eastweek magazine.

And that could mean the Law Society will be identified as a political group if they hold sway and thus be open to official action.

Five of 20 council members of the society will be elected by its more than 12,000 members on August 24.

That comes with the liberal camp now holding seven seats on the council and needing four more to take charge.

There are 11 candidates for the five seats.

Five are from the professional camp - Careen Wong Hau-yan, Tom Fu Ka-min, Jimmy Chan Kwok-ho, Justin Yuen Hoi-ying and Ronald Sum Kwan-ngai - while at least four - Jonathan Ross, Selma Masood, Henry Wheare and Denis Brock - are in the liberal camp.

The remaining two candidates are Tong Wai-lun and Nadine Lai. They have worked with Wheare in the same law firm, and some society members believe they could also favor the liberal cause.

Sources also noted that the professional camp candidates are with major law firms, and while they are respected for their abilities they are regarded as pro-establishment lawyers, which could count against them.

Against that, sources also allege liberal camp council members have been rocking the boat.

"Some council members are keen to make political statements," it was said. "Some even bring filibusters used by pro-democracy legislators into the Law Society. So the council is forced to take a long time to discuss simple issues that could be decided within 10 minutes."

The Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation chaired by Lawrence Ma Yan-kwok of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong said the result of the election could affect self-regulation by the society.

If the liberal camp wins all five seats and holds a majority in the council, the foundation said in a statement on Monday, "the Law Society may slide toward a politicalized abyss and become a political organization."

This would "trigger the government to revoke the self-regulation power from the Law Society."

As the foundation tells it, "self-regulation of the legal profession is a key factor to secure the rule of law - a fundamental core value of Hong Kong" - so society members should vote for the professional camp.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com