'End nears' for Harris time as Bar Association leader

Human rights lawyer Paul Harris will not seek another term as Bar Association chairman, sources say.

That would mean senior counsel Harris, 68, will step down from his position when his first term ends in January, according to The Standard's sister newspaper Sing Tao Daily.

It is understood that the "centrist camp" already has a potential candidate in mind for the professional group's top post.

"Veteran members of the association found that it has become politicized as they saw it losing contact with the mainland after former chairman Philip Dykes held the position for three terms since 2018," a source said.

"Harris taking over the association made it worse. So now veteran members hope there will be change and the association gets a chairman that is politically neutral and only defends the rule of law and legal principles."

Harris has been an outspoken critic of the national security law, saying the legislation is not consistent with the rule of law. He has also called on the government to amend and limit the use of the law.

Harris also criticized the court rulings against Next Digital founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and nine other activists, including senior counsel Martin Lee Chu-ming, for two unauthorized assembly cases on August 18 and 31 in 2019 as too hefty.

His remarks drew fire from state media, as well as the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office and the central government's liaison office in Hong Kong.

State media People's Daily previously called the Bar Association a "street rat" and warned the Law Society not to follow its example.

Harris took up the helm of the Bar Association on January 21 after being nominated by veteran pro-democracy activist Martin Lee and Queen's Counsel Lawrence Lok Ying-kam.

Harris was also a councillor at the Oxford City Council, representing St Margaret in Britain, before taking up his role at the association. He was a cofounder of the Hong Kong Human Rights Watch with Dykes and University of Hong Kong scholar Johannes Chan Man-mun.

Bar council member Robin D'Souza resigned last month as the group faces increasing scrutiny from Beijing.

He was the second council member to resign after Harris became chairman, following senior counsel Jeremy Bartlett's resignation in June.

D'Souza resigned due to discontent over the association's stance toward violence, as well as differences within the association's council, according to sources.

Both D'Souza and Harris are from Denis Chang's Chambers.

According to information from the Bar Association, D'Souza's post will be taken up by barrister Rachael Siu Suk-yu.

D'Souza became a barrister in 2006 and became a member of the association's council while Dykes was chairman.