Senior Unofficial Member#ExCo Senior Unofficial Member

{{Short description|Historic Hong Kong government position}}

{{for|the rank Senior Member in the US' Civil Air Patrol|Civil Air Patrol#Senior members}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}

{{Use Hong Kong English|date=December 2018}}

{{Infobox Chinese

|t=首席非官守議員

|j=Sau2 zik6 fei1 gun1 sau2 ji5 jyun4

|y=Sáu jihk fēi gūn sáu yíh yùhn

|altname=Senior Member

|t2=首席議員

|j2=Sau2 zik6 ji5 jyun4

|y2=Sáu jihk yíh yùhn

|altname3=Convenor of the Non-official Members

|t3=非官守議員召集人

|j3=Fei1 gun1 sau2 ji5 jyun4 ziu6 zaap6 jan4

|y3=Fēi gūn sáu yíh yùhn jiuh jaahp yàhn

|altname4=Senior Chinese Unofficial Member

|t4=首席華人非官守議員

|j4=Sau2 zik6 waa4 jan4 fei1 gun1 sau2 ji5 jyun4

|y4=Sáu jihk wàh yàhn fēi gūn sáu yíh yùhn

|hide=yes

}}

The Senior Unofficial Member, later Senior Member and, finally, Convenor of the Non-official Members, was the highest-ranking unofficial member of the Legislative Council (LegCo) and Executive Council (ExCo) of British Hong Kong, which was tasked with representing the opinions of all unofficial members of the council to the Governor.

Ethnic Chinese members of either council were frequently referred to as "Chinese representatives" of the council before the introduction of elected seats in the LegCo; the most senior ethnic Chinese member was dubbed the "Senior Chinese Unofficial Member" ({{zh|t=首席華人非官守議員}}) or "Senior Chinese Representative".

Background

The Executive Council and the Legislative Council were set up in 1843, initially composing of colonial administrators only. The councils were initially chaired by the Governor of Hong Kong. The colony's residents remained unrepresented until 1850, when the government appointed two businessmen to the LegCo, with David Jardine of Jardines as the first Senior Unofficial Member of the LegCo in the history of Hong Kong. It was not until 1896, on his appointment to ExCo, that Catchick Paul Chater became the Senior Unofficial Member.

Historically, ExCo Senior Unofficial Member importance greatly exceeded that of the LegCo counterpart, thus their term of office were longer. Before the Second World War, there were only three Senior Unofficial Members in ExCo, whereas there have been four LegCo Senior Unofficial Members. Initially, membership was restricted to Europeans; ethnic Chinese were admitted at a later date. The first ethnic Chinese to be appointed LegCo Senior Unofficial Member was Ho Kai, who held the post from 1906 to 1914. The first ethnic Chinese to be appointed ExCo Senior Unofficial Member was Chau Tsun-nin, who held the post from 1953 to 1959. Prior to Chau Tsun-nin, Chow Shouson was also ExCo Senior Unofficial Member when he stood in for three months following Henry Pollock.

Senior Unofficial Members of the ExCo would customarily be knighted if they were not already knights, although their LegCo counterparts would not. Pre-WWII ExCo and LegCo Senior Unofficial Member typically served renewable four- to five-year terms. Their seniority implied they would not remain as ordinary Legco/Exco members at the end of their terms, but would leave the council on expiry.

In 1985, indirect elections were introduced for the Legislative Council. To avoid confusion, Sir Edward Youde, the then-Governor, renamed the post Senior Unofficial Member in both councils "Senior Member". The introduction in 1991 of direct elections to the LegCo more than doubled the number of its members. The directly elected members refused to take orders from the Senior Member. The Senior Member at the time, Allen Lee, was unable to represent the council with a single voice and would occasionally have run-ins with the directly elected members. In 1992, Governor David Wilson abolished the LegCo post of Senior Member. In 1995, Governor Chris Patten renamed the ExCo post of Senior Member "Convenor of the Non-official Members".

During colonial times, the Urban Council also had a post entitled "Senior Unofficial Member", with a similar role. However, its importance was considerably less than its ExCo and LegCo counterparts.

Statistical overview

In total there have been 26 and 11 Senior Unofficial Members respectively of LegCo and ExCo. Of these, six have served as Senior Unofficial Members in both councils: Catchick Paul Chater, Sir Henry Pollock, Chau Tsun-nin, Kan Yuet-keung, Chung Sze-yuen and Lydia Dunn.

The longest serving Senior Unofficial Members of LegCo were Sir Henry Pollock and Phineas Ryrie, who sat for 24 and 22 years respectively; the three who served the shortest duration were George Lyall, John Dent and Kwok Chan, who sat for one year. Lydia Dunn was the only female; Dhun Jehangir Ruttonjee was the only Parsee; Roger Lobo was the only Portuguese.

The longest serving Senior Unofficial Members of ExCo was Catchick Paul Chater, who served a total of 30 years; the shortest tenures was Sir Sidney Gordon, serving under one year. Lydia Dunn was the first female ExCo Senior Unofficial Member. Chater was the only Senior Unofficial Member to die in office; Chau Tsun-nin and Chau Sik-nin were the only Senior Unofficial Members drawn from the same clan.

Executive Council

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

! No.

! Portrait

! Name

! Term

! Governor

! Remarks

180pxSir Catchick Paul Chater1896–1926align=left|Sir William Robinson
Sir Henry Arthur Blake
Sir Matthew Nathan
Sir Frederick Lugard
Sir Francis Henry May
Sir Edward Stubbs
Sir Cecil Clementi
align=left|Former LegCo Senior Unofficial Member (1900–1906);
Died in office
280pxSir Henry Pollock1926–1941align=left|Sir Cecil Clementi
Sir William Peel
Sir Andrew Caldecott
Sir Geoffry Northcote
{{nowrap|Sir Mark Aitchison Young}}
align=left|Also LegCo Senior Unofficial Member;
{{Efn|name=Chou}}
colspan=6 | Japanese occupation of Hong Kong (1941–1945)
380pxSir Arthur Morse1946–1953align=left|Sir Mark Aitchison Young
Sir Alexander Grantham
480pxSir Tsun-nin Chau1953–1959align=left|Sir Alexander Grantham
Sir Robert Brown Black
align=left|Previously LegCo Senior Unofficial Member;
First Chinese Senior Unofficial Member
580pxSir Sik-nin Chau1959−1962align=left|Sir Robert Brown Blackalign=left|Previously LegCo Senior Unofficial Member
680x80pxAlbert Rodrigues1962–1974align=left|Sir Robert Brown Black
Sir David Trench
Sir Murray MacLehose
align=left|First Portuguese Senior Unofficial Member
780x80pxSir Yuet-keung Kan1974–1980align=left|Sir Murray MacLehosealign=left|Previously LegCo Senior Unofficial Member
880x80pxSir Sidney Gordon1980align=left|Sir Murray MacLehosealign=left|Assumed office from March to August 1980
980x80pxSir Sze-yuen Chung1980–1985align=left|Sir Murray MacLehose
Sir Edward Youde
align=left|Previously LegCo Senior Unofficial Member
colspan=6 | Post renamed "Senior Member" in 1985
180x80pxSir Sze-yuen Chung1985–1988align=left|Sir Edward Youde
Sir David Wilson
align=left|Previously LegCo Senior Unofficial Member
280x80pxDame Lydia Dunn1988–1995align=left|Sir David Wilson
Chris Patten
align=left|Previously LegCo Senior Unofficial Member;
First female Senior Official Member
colspan=6 | Post renamed "Convenor of the Non-official Members" in 1995
180x80pxDame Rosanna Wong1995–1997align=left|Chris Patten
colspan=6 | Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997
See List of Convenor of the Non-Official Members of the Executive Council of Hong Kong

Legislative Council

class="wikitable sortable"
TermAssembly

!Portrait

!Name

Constituencycolspan=2|PartyEntered LegCo

!

colspan="9" | Senior Unofficial Member
1850–1857

|80px

David JardineAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1850

|

1857–1860

|

Joseph JardineAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1857

|

1860–1861

|

John DentAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1857

|

1861–1864

|

Alexander PercevalAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1860

|

1864–1866

|

Francis ChomleyAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1861

|

1866–1867

|

James WhittallAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1864

|

1867–1870

|

Hugh Bold GibbAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1866

|

1870–1891

|

Phineas RyrieAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1867

|

1891–1905

|80px

Catchick Paul ChaterAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1886

|{{Efn|name=ExCo Senior}}

1905–1914

|80px

Ho KaiAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1890

|

1914–1917

|80px

Wei YukAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1896

|

1917–1940

|80px

Henry Edward PollockAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1906

|{{Efn|Also ExCo Senior Unofficial Member|name=ExCo Senior}}{{Efn|Chow Shouson stood in between September and December 1928|name=Chou}}

1940–1941

|

John Johnstone PatersonAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1930

|

colspan="9" |Japanese occupation of Hong Kong (1941–1945)
1946–1950

|

David Fortune LandaleAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1946

|

1950–1953

|80px

Chau Tsun-ninAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1946

|{{Efn|name=Exco}}

1953–1959

|80px

Chau Sik-ninAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1946

|{{Efn|name=Exco}}

1959–1961

|

Ngan Shing-kwanAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1951

|

1961–1962

|80px

Kwok ChanAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1952

|

1962–1968

|

Dhun Jehangir RuttonjeeAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1953

|

1968–1972

|

Kan Yuet-keungAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1961

|{{Efn|name=Exco}}

1972–1974

|80px

Woo Pak-chuenAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1964

|

1974–1978

|

Chung Sze-yuenAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1965

|{{Efn|name=Exco}}

1978–1981

|80px

Oswald CheungAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1968

|{{Cite web |title=The Hon Oswald Victor CHEUNG – Citation |url=https://www4.hku.hk/hongrads/citations/cbe-qc-ma-jp-oswald-victor-cheung-the-hon-oswald-victor-cheung |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=HKU |language=en}}

1981–1985

|

Roger LoboAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Nonpartisan}}" |Nonpartisan1972

|{{Cite web |date=2015-04-21 |title=Obituary: Sir Roger Lobo, Hong Kong lawmaker who sought transparency on pre-handover talks |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1772293/obituary-sir-roger-lobo-hong-kong-lawmaker-who-sought-transparency |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}

colspan="9" | Senior Member
1985–19881985–88

|106x106px

Lydia DunnAppointedbgcolor="{{party color|Independent politician}}" |Independent1976

|{{Efn|Later became ExCo Senior Unofficial Member|name=Exco}}{{Cite web |title=Members database (Lydia Dunn) |url=https://app.legco.gov.hk/member_front/english/library/member_detail.aspx?id=69 |website=Legislative Council of Hong Kong |quote=30 October 1985 – 25 August 1988 Appointed (Senior Unofficial Member)}}

rowspan="2" | 1988–1992rowspan="2" | 1988–91
1991–95

| rowspan="2" |80px

rowspan="2" | Allen Leerowspan="2" | Appointedbgcolor="{{party color|Independent politician}}" |Independent (1978–91)rowspan="2" | 1978

|{{Cite web |title=Liberal Party founding chairman Allen Lee dead at 80 |url=https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/147554/Liberal-Party-founding-chairman-Allen-Lee-dead-at-80 |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=The Standard |language=en}}

bgcolor="{{party color|Co-operative Resources Centre}}" |{{nowrap|CRC (1991–93)}}

|

colspan="9" | Highest in order of precedence
rowspan="2" | 1992–1997rowspan="2" | 1991–95
1995–97

| rowspan="2" |80px

rowspan="2" | Allen Leerowspan="2" | Appointed (1978–95)
New Territories North-east (1995–97)
bgcolor="{{party color|Co-operative Resources Centre}}" |{{nowrap|CRC (1991–93)}}rowspan="2" | 1978

|

bgcolor="{{party color|LPHK}}" |{{nowrap|Liberal (1991–98)}}

|

rowspan="2" | 1997–1998rowspan="2" | PLC

| rowspan="2" |

rowspan="2" | Wong Siu-yeerowspan="2" | N/Abgcolor="{{party color|Liberal Democratic Federation of Hong Kong}}" |LDF (1996–97)rowspan="2" | 1996

|

bgcolor="{{party color|Hong Kong Progressive Alliance}}" |HKPA (1997–98)

|

1998–20041st
2nd

|

Kenneth TingIndustrial (First)

| bgcolor="{{party color|LPHK}}" |

Liberal1998

|

rowspan="4" |2004–2008

| rowspan="4" |3rd

| rowspan="4" |106x106px

| rowspan="4" |James Tien

|Appointed (1988–91)

| bgcolor="{{party color|Liberal Democratic Federation of Hong Kong}}" |

LDF (1988–91)

| rowspan="4" |1988
Continuous from 1998

|

rowspan="2" |Industrial (First) (1993–95)

| bgcolor="{{party color|Business and Professionals Federation of Hong Kong}}" |

BPF (1993)

|

rowspan="2" bgcolor="{{party color|LPHK}}" |rowspan="2" | Liberal (1993–2008)

|

Commercial (First) (1998–2004)
New Territories East (2004–08)

|

rowspan="2" |2008–2016

| rowspan="2" |4th
5th

| rowspan="2" |106x106px

| rowspan="2" |Albert Ho

|New Territories West (1995–97)

| rowspan="2" bgcolor="{{party color|DPHK}}" |

rowspan="2" | Democratic

| rowspan="2" |1995
Continuous from 1998

|

New Territories West (1998–2012)
District Council (Second) (2012–16)

|

rowspan="3" |2016–2020

| rowspan="3" |6th

| rowspan="3" |106x106px

| rowspan="3" |James To

| rowspan="2" |Kowloon West (1991–95)
Kowloon South-west (1995–97)

| bgcolor="{{party color|United Democrats of Hong Kong}}" |

UDHK (1991–94)

| rowspan="3" |1991
Continuous from 1998

|

rowspan="2" bgcolor="{{party color|DPHK}}" |rowspan="2" | Democratic (1994–2020)

|

Kowloon West (1998–2012)
District Council (Second) (2012–20)

|

2020–2021

|6th

|106x106px

Abraham ShekReal Estate and Construction

| bgcolor="{{party color|Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong}}" |

BPA

| 2000

|

2022–7th

|106x106px

Tommy CheungCatering

| bgcolor="{{party color|LPHK}}" |

Liberal

| 2000

|

Notes

{{Notelist}}

See also

References

{{Reflist}}{{refbegin}}

  • [http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/hkgro/browse.jsp Hong Kong Government Gazette], Hong Kong: GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG, 1852–1941.
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20060218175633/http://www.legco.gov.hk/english/index.htm Hansard], Hong Kong: HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, 1884–1992.
  • 〈港府昨正式發表行政局議員名單〉,《工商日報》, p. 4, 8 May 1946.
  • 〈行政局議員已全部委出〉,《工商日報》p. 4, 30 May 1946.
  • Hong Kong Government Gazette, Hong Kong: GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG, 1951–1959.
  • Hong Kong Annual Report, Hong Kong: Government Press, 1951–1969.
  • Endacott, G. B., Government and people in Hong Kong, 1841–1962: A Constitutional History, Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 1964.
  • 鄭棟材,[http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/hkjo/view/44/4401147.pdf CHINESE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE COUNCILS IN HONG KONG UP TO 1941], 29 April 1968.
  • 鍾士元,《香港回歸歷程-鍾士元回憶錄》,香港:中文大學出版社,2001.
  • Li, Simon, [http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr02-03/english/sec/library/0203fs04e.pdf FACT SHEET-"THE FIRST" in Legislative Council History], Hong Kong: HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, 13 January 2003.

{{refend}}