Chief justice names five senior counsels

Chief justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung has appointed five senior counsels this year, with four in civil and one in criminal specialties.

Among them is Tony Li Chung-yin from Plowman Chambers, who is understood to be the pupil master of Cheung's son, who is also a barrister.

The others are British Mairead Rattigan and Johnny Ma Ka-chun from Des Voeux Chambers, and Sara Tong See-pui and Brit Victor Joffe from Temple Chambers.

Sources said over 10 barristers applied for the honorary title but only five were admitted to the inner bar.

The youngest among the new silks is Li, 43, who specializes in criminal trials and appeals.

Li read law and commerce at the University of New South Wales in Australia. He was admitted to the Hong Kong Bar in 2004.

The eldest is 70-year-old Joffe. The commercial and company litigation specialist is already a silk, having become a Queen's Counsel in Britain in 2001.

However, he was only eligible to become a senior counsel after practicing here for at least 10 years - he began practicing here in 2011.

Joffe read arts and law at the University of Cambridge and followed up on those degrees with a master of arts in the same institution.

He was admitted to the Bar of England and Wales (Middle Temple) in 1975. Before he came here, he was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1998 and the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in the UK in 2005.

Ma, 45, focused on probate and constitutional and administrative law matters.

He read law at the University of Hong Kong and civil law at the University of Oxford. He was admitted to the Hong Kong Bar in 1999.

Tong, 46, has a general civil practice covering commercial, company and probate work. She is also regularly instructed in professional disciplinary and securities regulatory matters.

She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law from the University of Cambridge and was admitted to the Hong Kong Bar in 2003.

Rattigan, 56, is a family law specialist. She read law at the University of London. She was admitted to the Bar of England and Wales (Inner Temple) in 1989 and to the Hong Kong Bar in 1990.

The appointments will take effect from June 11, when the ceremonial proceedings are set to take place at the court of final appeal.