Hon Alan Leong Kah-kit
Member of the Legislative Council
Alan Leong is a Legislative Councillor representing Kowloon East and ran against Donald Tsang, the incumbent Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), in the first ever contested Chief Executive Election held since the reversion of sovereignty to China in 1997. The two televised debates between the candidates were, according to a survey, watched by 86% of the Hong Kong population, and also by audience in the Guangdong Province of China.
Prior to this, Leong had a successful career as a barrister in private practice. He was the first Senior Counsel (formerly known as Queen's Counsel) appointed after the establishment of the HKSAR. He served as Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association from 2001 to 2003. During his term as the Bar Chairman, he strongly opposed the national security legislation introduced by the Government to implement Article 23 of the Basic Law because of its restrictions on rights and freedoms enjoyed by the Hong Kong people that are at the heart of Hong Kong's way of life. The Bar Association's opposition played an important part in the public campaign against the legislation, culminating in the march of some 500,000 people on 1 July 2003. The legislation was consequently shelved and has not been re-introduced by the Government.
He was among the first groups in the Hong Kong Bar Association to break the ice in establishing official contacts with Mainland legal counterparts. As Chairman of the Committee on Mainland Relations and Practice, he negotiated for the participation of Hong Kong barristers in China's legal services after China acceded to the World Trade Organization.
Leong is also a founding member of the Civic Party, established on 19 March 2006. The Party enjoys substantial support from the professional sector, and is widely seen by the Hong Kong public as a strong leader in universal suffrage. Currently, the Party has 6 members in the 60-member Legislative Council of the HKSAR.
Leong writes extensively about political reform and major public policies including environmental issues, town planning, education and sustainable development. He was frequently interviewed by international press.
Leong is married with 3 children. He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Hong Kong and a Master of Laws degree from the University of Cambridge.
Academic & Professional/Political Experience:
- LL.B., The University of Hong Kong (1982)
- Admission as a Barrister (1983)
- P.C.LL., The University of Hong Kong (1983)
- LL.M., University of Cambridge (1984)
- Admission as a Barrister (Senior Counsel), the first after the establishment of the HKSAR (1998)
- Elected as Member, Legislative Council of the HKSAR (2004)
- Participated in The 3rd Chief Executive Election (2007)
Present Service:
- Honorary Lecturer, Department of Professional legal Education, The University of Hong Kong (2000 - Present)
- Member, Housing Authority (2009 - Present)
- Member, Legislative Council of the HKSAR (May 2004 - Present)
Past Service:
- Member, Legislative Council of the HKSAR (Oct 2004 - Jan 2010)
- Non-Executive Director, Urban Renewal Authority (May 2005 - Apr 2007)
- Chairman, Water Pollution Control Appeal Board (2001 - Jan 2007)
- Vice-Chairman, Independent Police Complaints Council (Jan 2005 - Dec 2006)
- Member, Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Boards (19th Jun 2000 - 18th Jun 2006)
- Member of Professional Services Advisory Committee, Hong Kong Trade Development Council (Apr 2002 - Mar 2006)
- Director, Applied Research Council (Feb 2000 - Feb 2006)
- Member, Independent Police Complaints Council (2000 - 2004)
- Member, Committee of Bilingual Legal System in Hong Kong (1997 - 2004)
- Chairman of the Task Force on Accreditation re Internship - Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and Qualification (2003)
- Member of the Central Policy Unit Panel on Social Cohesion (2002 - 2003)
- Chairman, Hong Kong Bar Association (Jan 2001 - Jan 2003)
- Chairman, Water Pollution Control Appeal Board (2000 - 2002)
- Bar's Representative on the Department of Justice's Working Group on Review of Legal Education (1999 - 2002)
- President, Lions Club of Kwai Tsing (1998 - 1999)
July 2007
For further information, please visit:
www.alanleong.com
www.competitionforce.hk
www.alanleong.net
www.civicparty.hk