Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan, JP (Chinese: 張國鈞, born 30 June 1974[1]) is a Hong Kong solicitor and politician and the former vice-chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), the largest pro-Beijing party in Hong Kong. He was elected to Legislative Council of Hong Kong in 2016 through the Hong Kong Island constituency, and re-elected in 2021 through the Election Committee constituency. He is the current Deputy Secretary for Justice.
Horace Cheung | |
|---|---|
張國鈞 | |
.jpg) Cheung in 2023 | |
| Deputy Secretary for Justice | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Non-Official Member of the Executive Council | |
| In office 1 July 2017 – 30 June 2022 | |
| Appointed by | Carrie Lam |
| Vice-Chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong | |
| In office 24 April 2011 – 18 June 2022 | |
| Chairman | Tam Yiu-chung Starry Lee |
| Preceded by | Carson Wen |
| Member of the Legislative Council | |
| In office 1 January 2022 – 18 June 2022 | |
| Preceded by | New constituency |
| Succeeded by | Chan Wing-kwong |
| Constituency | Election Committee |
| In office 1 October 2016 – 31 December 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Christopher Chung |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Constituency | Hong Kong Island |
| Member of the Central and Western District Council | |
| In office 1 January 2012 – 31 December 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Chan Tak-chor |
| Succeeded by | Pang Ka-ho |
| Constituency | Sai Wan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 June 1974 Hong Kong |
| Political party | Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) (until 2022) |
| Residence(s) | North Point, Hong Kong |
| Alma mater | TWGH Yau Tze Tin Memorial College City University of Hong Kong |
| Occupation | Solicitor Politician |
| Horace Cheung | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 張國鈞 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 张国钧 | ||||||||||||
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Career
editCheung graduated from the City University of Hong Kong with a bachelor's degree in law and is a partner of Cheung & Yeung solicitors. He joined the DAB in 2000 and worked closely with the then party chairman Ma Lik as the vice-chairman of the Wan Chai branch, party of Ma's Hong Kong Island constituency. He took in charge of the party's 800-member youth wing when it was created in 2004. With his young age with professional background, Cheung is a high-flier in the party.[1] In 2011, he became the vice-chairman of the DAB.
He contested in the 2003 District Council elections in Stubbs Road but was defeated. In the 2004 Legislative Council elections, he was placed in the DAB list behind Ma Lik and Choy So-yuk and was not elected. In 2008 Legislative Council elections, he was placed the fourth behind Tsang Yok-sing, Choy So-yuk and Christopher Chung and did not get elected. In 2011 District Council elections, he won a seat in Sai Wan constituency in the Central and Western District Council by 24 votes against a Democratic Party candidate. He was elected to the Election Committee in the Election Committee sub-sector elections through the Urban District Councils Sub-sector in 2011. He lost his seat in the 2019 District Council elections.[2]
He has been appointed to various public positions including membership on the Administrative Appeals Board, Buildings Appeal Tribunal Panel, Central Policy Unit, Estate Agents Authority, Long Term housing Strategy Steering Committee, Standing Committee on Disciplined Services Salaries and Conditions of Service and Steering Committee on the regulation of the sale of first-hand residential properties by legislation. He is member of the Disciplinary and Investigate Panels of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA).
He was elected to Legislative Council of Hong Kong in 2016 through the Hong Kong Island constituency.
In April 2021, Cheung criticized the Hong Kong Bar Association, and said that the group had commented too often on political issues.[3]
On 18 June 2022, he resigned from the Legislative Council and the DAB to become the Deputy Secretary for Justice.[4]
In December 2022, Cheung said that asking the NPCSC to interpret Hong Kong's national security law is the "healthiest way" for the legal system to develop, after the government appealed to Beijing to block Jimmy Lai from using UK lawyer Tim Owen.[5]
In February 2023, after a trip to the Middle East, Cheung said that no government officials or business leaders asked him about the national security law, and said that those in the Middle East "are not easily swayed by inaccurate or incorrect information."[6]
Personal life
editIn September 2022, Cheung tested positive for COVID-19.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b Hung, Denise (2 December 2006). "THE DAB: Horace Cheung, Starry Lee". South China Morning Post.
- ^ "2019 District Councils Election – Election Results (Sha Tin)". Government of Hong Kong.
- ^ "Pro-government figures say legal sector's self-regulatory rights should be revoked if professional groups turn political ｜ Apple Daily". Apple Daily 蘋果日報 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 8 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ^ "Horace Cheung quits DAB before joining govt - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
- ^ "Hong Kong deputy minister backs request for national security law interpretation". South China Morning Post. 10 December 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- ^ Lee, Peter (10 February 2023). "Middle East charm offensive 'fruitful' says Hong Kong's John Lee, as deputy justice sec. says no one asked about security law". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ^ Standard, The. "Deputy justice minister Horace Cheung catches Covid". The Standard. Retrieved 2 September 2022.