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
Cheung in 2023
Deputy Secretary for Justice
Assumed office
1 July 2022
Preceded byPosition established
Non-Official Member of the Executive Council
In office
1 July 2017 – 30 June 2022
Appointed byCarrie Lam
Vice-Chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong
In office
24 April 2011 – 18 June 2022
ChairmanTam Yiu-chung
Starry Lee
Preceded byCarson Wen
Member of the Legislative Council
In office
1 January 2022 – 18 June 2022
Preceded byNew constituency
Succeeded byChan Wing-kwong
ConstituencyElection Committee
In office
1 October 2016 – 31 December 2021
Preceded byChristopher Chung
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
ConstituencyHong Kong Island
Member of the Central and Western District Council
In office
1 January 2012 – 31 December 2019
Preceded byChan Tak-chor
Succeeded byPang Ka-ho
ConstituencySai Wan
Personal details
Born (1974-06-30) 30 June 1974 (age 50)
Hong Kong
Political partyDemocratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) (until 2022)
Residence(s)North Point, Hong Kong
Alma materTWGH Yau Tze Tin Memorial College
City University of Hong Kong
OccupationSolicitor
Politician
Horace Cheung
Traditional Chinese張國鈞
Simplified Chinese张国钧
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhāng Guójūn
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationJēung Gwok kwān
JyutpingZoeng1 Gwok3 kwan1

Career

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Cheung 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

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In September 2022, Cheung tested positive for COVID-19.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b Hung, Denise (2 December 2006). "THE DAB: Horace Cheung, Starry Lee". South China Morning Post.
  2. ^ "2019 District Councils Election – Election Results (Sha Tin)". Government of Hong Kong.
  3. ^ "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.
  4. ^ "Horace Cheung quits DAB before joining govt - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Hong Kong deputy minister backs request for national security law interpretation". South China Morning Post. 10 December 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ Standard, The. "Deputy justice minister Horace Cheung catches Covid". The Standard. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
Party political offices
New creation Chairman of Young Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong
2004–2009
Succeeded by
Preceded by Vice-Chairman of Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong
2011–2022
Succeeded by
TBD
Political offices
Preceded by
Chan Tak-chor
Member of Central and Western District Council
Representative for Sai Wan
2012–2019
Succeeded by
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
Preceded by Member of Legislative Council
Representative for Hong Kong Island
2016–2021
Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Legislative Council
Representative for Election Committee
2022–2022
Succeeded by
Order of precedence
Preceded by
Michael Wong Wai-lun
Deputy Financial Secretary
Hong Kong order of precedence
Deputy Secretary for Justice
Succeeded by
Arthur Li
Member of the Executive Council