Long-awaited commissioners for lead-watergate announced; Official prosecutor in Kevin Lau case promoted.
High Court judge appointed as chairman of two-man strong lead-in-water inquiry.
After a month of protests and two joint statements from the pan-democrats as well as a ‘threat’ by DAB to invoke the LegCo’s special power, CY Leung finally announced a two-man strong commission to probe the ongoing lead-watergate.
Justice Andrew Chan Hing-wai (陳慶偉) was appointed as chairman and commissioner of a new Commission of Inquiry to investigate recent incidents of high lead concentration in drinking water. Alan Lai Nin (黎年) was also appointed as commissioner.
In 1998, Justice Chan first joined the Judiciary as Magistrate, then served as District Judge in 2007 and Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court in 2012. Lai served as Director-General of the Trade and Industry Department from 1996 to 1999, Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) from 1999 to 2002, and the Ombudsman of Hong Kong from 2009 to 2014.
The Commission expects to present a report to the Chief Executive in nine months. However, on a RTHK radio show today, Democratic Party Legislative Council member Helena Wong complained that nine months is too long and hopes that the report can be completed in six months, with an interim report ready in three months. She also stated that with only two members, the Commission is undermanned, calling for more manpower to be devoted to the inquiry to speed up the process.
Announcing the establishment of the Commission after a special Executive Committee meeting, Chief Executive CY Leung said, “The Committee will conduct a comprehensive, thorough, and independent investigation into the lead-in-water incidents.”
Deputy Public Prosecution Director to lead Legal Policy Division.
Principal Government Counsel Mr Wesley Wong Wai-chung (黃惠沖), SC, will succeed Mr Frank Poon Ying-kwong as Solicitor General with effect from September 3.
The post of Solicitor General, which is ranked at Law Officer (DL6) level, is responsible for the development of legal policy, advising the Secretary for Justice on a wide range of complex and sensitive legal issues and overseeing the department’s legislative programme.
Mr Wong, aged 44, was called to the Hong Kong Bar in 1993 and served pupillage under the Legal Trainee Scheme at the then Legal Department. He was appointed Crown Counsel in 1994 and promoted to Senior Crown Counsel in 1995, Deputy Principal Government Counsel in 2004 and Principal Government Counsel in 2011. Mr Wong has served in different divisions of the department for 22 years and has been a Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions since 2011. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2013.
The new Solicitor General recently lead the prosecution against former Ming Pao editor Kevin Lau’s (劉進圖) two assailants.
High Court Deputy Judge appointed Chairman to Market Misconduct Tribunal and Securities and Futures Appeals Tribunal
Deputy Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, Judge Garry Tallentire (鄧立泰) has been appointed Chairman of the Market Misconduct Tribunal (MMT) and the Securities and Futures Appeals Tribunal (SFAT) for a term of three years from August 14, 2015, to August 13, 2018. Judge Tallentire succeeds Mr Justice Azizul Rahman Suffiad (石輝).
Both the MMT and the SFAT are established under the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) (SFO).
The MMT deals with six types of market misconduct: insider dealing, false trading, price rigging, disclosure of information about prohibited transactions, disclosure of false or misleading information inducing transactions, and stock market manipulation.
The SFAT has jurisdiction to review a wide range of decisions made under the SFO by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and an investor compensation company recognised by the SFC.
Mr Justice Michael John Hartmann, Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal, is another Chairman of the MMT and SFAT.
