Andrew Cheung

Born in Hong Kong on 24 September 1961, Cheung attended Ying Wa College, before reading law at the University of Hong Kong and taking a Master of Laws degree at Harvard Law School in the United States.{{cite web|url=http://gia.info.gov.hk/general/201104/11/P201104110168_0168_77575.pdf|title=Annex Curriculum Vitae|date=11 April 2011|publisher=Government of Hong Kong|accessdate=1 September 2011}} Cheung served briefly as a Lecturer and Demonstrator of the Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong on a part-time basis after graduation.{{cite web|title=Judicial Appointment|url=http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200308/21/0821233.htm|publisher=Government of Hong Kong|date=21 August 2003 | accessdate=4 July 2018}}

Cheung was called to the Hong Kong Bar in 1985 as a pupil of Audrey Eu and began private practice the following year in the chambers of Henry Litton. His practice mainly involved civil and commercial cases.{{Cite web|date=2020-03-25|title=Next chief justice will preside over cases involving key constitutional disputes|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3076778/hong-kongs-next-chief-justice-andrew-cheung-will-have|access-date=2021-01-13|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=HKU Law congratulates the first homegrown Chief Justice of the HKSAR – Andrew Cheung {{!}} Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong|url=https://www.law.hku.hk/news/hku-law-congratulates-the-first-homegrown-chief-justice-of-the-hksar-andrew-cheung/|access-date=2021-01-13}}{{Cite web|date=6 March 1994|title=QC 'hit parade' comes under fire|url=https://www.scmp.com/article/65521/qc-hit-parade-comes-under-fire|access-date=2021-01-13|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}} In 1995, he was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore.

Cheung was appointed to the bench in 2001 as a judge of the District Court of Hong Kong. Sitting first as a Deputy High Court Judge in December 2001, he was soon elevated to the Court of First Instance of the High Court in 2003. He was then appointed as the Probate Judge in 2004, before becoming the Judge in charge of the Constitutional and Administrative Law List of the High Court in 2008. His tenure was marked by a number of high-profile rulings relating to constitutional and human rights matters.{{cite web|title=Andrew Cheung named as new chief judge|url=http://www.scmp.com/article/964834/andrew-cheung-named-new-chief-judge|work=South China Morning Post|date=12 April 2011 }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr10-11/english/hc/sub_com/hs52/papers/hs520421cb2-1679-3-e.pdf|title=Notable CFI Judgments|website=Hong Kong Legco}}

In June 2011, Cheung succeeded Geoffrey Ma as the Chief Judge of the High Court and President of the Court of Appeal,{{cite news|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=110065&sid=31994396&con_type=1 |title=Cheung named next chief of High Court |date=12 April 2011 |newspaper=The Standard |accessdate=1 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016063110/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=110065&sid=31994396&con_type=1 |archivedate=16 October 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.gld.gov.hk/cgi-bin/gld/egazette/gazettefiles.cgi?lang=e&extra=&year=2011&month=06&day=24&vol=15&no=25&gn=3932&header=1&part=0&df=1&nt=gn&acurrentpage=12&agree=1&newfile=1&gaz_type=mg|title=Government Notice No.3932, Gazette 2011 Vol.15 No.25|date=24 June 2011|publisher=Government of Hong Kong|accessdate=1 September 2011}} making him the fourth local judge to hold this position. In his speech to the Legislative Council moving the resolution to endorse Cheung's appointment, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr. Henry Tang, described Cheung as an outstanding lawyer with the ability to handle difficult and complex cases and the potential of being a good administrator of the High Court.{{cite web|title=Speech by the Chief Secretary for Administration at the meeting of the Legislative Council on 8 June 2011|url=http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr10-11/english/hc/papers/hc0527cb3-788-e.pdf}}

He was elected an Honorary Bencher of Lincoln's Inn in 2017.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lincolnsinn.org.uk/index.php/about-us/our-membership/list-of-benchers|title=List of Benchers|last=eveb|website=lincolnsinn.org.uk|language=en-gb|access-date=28 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006075120/https://www.lincolnsinn.org.uk/index.php/about-us/our-membership/list-of-benchers|archive-date=6 October 2018|url-status=dead}}

On 21 March 2018, the Judiciary announced his appointment as a Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal with effect from 25 October 2018, succeeding Robert Tang. Cheung's appointment was accompanied by the appointments of Baroness Hale and Beverley McLachlin as Non-Permanent Judges of the city's top court.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news.php?id=104594&sid=4|title=Top court gets new judges|work=The Standard|access-date=21 March 2018|language=en-US}} He held the office of Chief Judge of the High Court for 7 years, 127 days – the longest serving of the four judges who had served in the role.

Cheung is a member of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission, which makes recommendations to the Chief Executive on judicial appointments. He is a member of the Law Reform Commission and also chairs or is a member of various committees and working parties within the Judiciary.{{Cite web|url=http://www.judiciary.hk/en/crt_services/pphlt/pdf/jorc_report2015e.pdf|title=JORC Report 2015|access-date=21 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321192947/http://www.judiciary.hk/en/crt_services/pphlt/pdf/jorc_report2015e.pdf|archive-date=21 March 2018|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal – The Permanent Judges – The Honourable Mr Justice Andrew CHEUNG Kui-nung|url=https://www.hkcfa.hk/en/about/who/judges/pjs/index_id_22.html|website=hkcfa.hk|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Civil And Miscellaneous Lists : Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission|url=http://www.info.gov.hk/cml/eng/cbc/a130.htm|access-date=6 August 2017|publisher=Government of Hong Kong|language=en|archive-date=5 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805221321/http://www.info.gov.hk/cml/eng/cbc/a130.htm|url-status=dead}}

Cheung was announced as the 3rd Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal on 24 March 2020, succeeding Geoffrey Ma. His appointment took effect on 11 January 2021. He is the first local law graduate to be appointed Hong Kong's Chief Justice.

In May 2023, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) of the United States Congress suggested the United States government imposing sanctions on Cheung to counter the erosion of democratic freedoms in Hong Kong over his handling of Jimmy Lai's national security law case.{{cite news|title=ONE CITY, TWO LEGAL SYSTEMS: HONG KONG JUDGES’ ROLE IN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS UNDER THE NATIONAL SECURITY LAW|url=https://www.cecc.gov/publications/commission-analysis/one-city-two-legal-systems-hong-kong-judges%E2%80%99-role-in-rights|work=Congressional-Executive Commission on China|date=10 May 2023}}{{cite news|title=No bail should be granted to defendants charged under national security law, says prosecutor|url=https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/164679/No-bail-should-be-granted-to-defendants-charged-under-national-security-law,-says-prosecutor|date=1 February 2021|newspaper=The Standard}}

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{{s-aft|after =Jeremy Poon Shiu-chor}}

{{s-bef|before=Robert Tang}}

{{s-ttl|title=Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal

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{{s-aft|after = Johnson Lam}}

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{{s-ttl|title = Designated National Security Law Judge|years=2020–Present}}

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{{s-bef|before = Geoffrey Ma}}

{{s-ttl|title = Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal|years=2021–Present}}

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{{s-bef|before = John Lee
Chief Executive of Hong Kong}}

{{s-ttl|title = Hong Kong order of precedence
Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal}}

{{s-aft|after = Tung Chee Hwa
Former Chief Executives}}

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Category:Living people

Category:1961 births

Category:Alumni of the University of Hong Kong

Category:Harvard Law School alumni

Category:Chief justices of the Court of Final Appeal (Hong Kong)