Hong Kong order of precedence
The Hong Kong order of precedence is a nominal and symbolic hierarchy of important positions within the Government of Hong Kong.[1] Administered by the government's Protocol Division, the hierarchy does not determine the order of succession for the office of Chief Executive, which is instead specified by the Basic Law of Hong Kong.
As a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong maintains autonomy on all affairs other than defence and foreign relations. Reflecting that status, the order of precedence does not include state and party leaders of the Central People's Government. Government officials from mainland China are generally treated as special guests when attending Hong Kong government functions.[2]
Hong Kong SAR order of precedence
- Chief Executive (Carrie Lam, GBM, GBS)[3]
- Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal (Andrew Cheung)
- Former Chief Executives
- Tung Chee-hwaa, GBM
- Donald Tsang, GBM
- Leung Chun-yinga, GBM, GBS, JP
- Chief Secretary for Administration (Matthew Cheung, GBM, GBS, JP)
- Financial Secretary (Paul Chan, GBM, GBS, MH, JP)
- Secretary for Justice (Teresa Cheng, GBS, SC, JP)
- President of the Legislative Council and Members of the Executive Council:
- President of the Legislative Council (Andrew Leung, GBS, JP)
- Convenor of the Executive Council (Bernard Charnwut Chan, GBS, JP)
- Other members of the Executive Council:
- Laura Cha, GBM, GBS, JP
- Arthur Li, GBM, GBS, JP
- Chow Chung-kong, GBS, JP
- Fanny Law, GBS, JP
- Secretary for the Environment (Wong Kam-sing, GBS, JP)
- Jeffrey Lamb, GBS, JP
- Ip Kwok-him, GBM, GBS, JP
- Tommy Cheungb, GBS, JP
- Martin Liaob, SBS, JP
- Joseph Yam, GBM, GBS, JP
- Regina Ipb, GBS, JP
- Ronny Tong, SC
- Wong Kwok-kin, SBS, JP
- Secretary for Labour and Welfare (Law Chi-kwong, GBS, JP)
- Secretary for Security (John Lee, SBS, PDSM, JP)
- Secretary for Transport and Housing (Frank Chan, JP)
- Secretary for Food and Health (Sophia Chan, JP)
- Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Edward Yau, GBS, JP)
- Lam Ching-choi, BBS, JP
- Secretary for Development (Michael Wong, JP)
- Secretary for Education (Kevin Yeung, JP)
- Secretary for the Civil Service (Patrick Nip, JP)
- Kenneth Laubc, BBS, MH, JP
- Horace Cheungb, JP
- Secretary for Innovation and Technology (Alfred Sit, JP)
- Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs (Erick Tsang, IDSM, JP)
- Secretary for Home Affairs (Caspar Tsui, JP)
- Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Christopher Hui, JP)
- Other principal officials:
- Commissioner, Independent Commission Against Corruption (Simon Peh, SBS, IDSM)
- Commissioner of Police (Chris Tang, PDSM)
- Director of Audit (John Chu, JP)
- Commissioner of Customs and Excise (Hermes Tang, CDSM)
- Director of Immigration (Au Ka-wang)
- Other members of the Court of Final Appeal and Chief Judge of the High Court:
- Permanent Judges of the Court of Final Appeal:
- Non-Permanent Judges of the Court of Final Appeal:
- Frank Stock GBS, JP
- Kemal Bokhary GBM, JP
- Patrick Chan Siu-oi GBM
- Robert Tang GBM, SBS, JP
- The Lord Hoffmann GBS
- The Lord Millett GBS
- Murray Gleeson AC
- The Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury GBS
- The Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe GBS
- The Lord Collins of Mapesbury
- The Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers
- James Spigelman AC
- William Gummow AC
- Robert French AC
- The Lord Reed of Allermuir
- The Baroness Hale of Richmond
- Beverley McLachlin
- Jonathan Sumption, Lord Sumption
- Chief Judge of the High Court (Jeremy Poon)
- Other members of the Legislative Council
- Consuls-General (Foreign country diplomats to Hong Kong)
- Religious leaders:
- Archbishop of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (Paul Kwong, GBS)
- President of the Hong Kong Buddhist Association (Kuan Yun, MH)
- Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong (vacante)
- President of the Confucian Academy (Tong Yun-kai, SBS)
- Chairman of the Chinese Muslim Cultural and Fraternal Association (Sat Che-sang, MH)
- Chairman of the Hong Kong Christian Council (Eric So)
- Chairman of the Hong Kong Taoist Association (Leung Tak-wah, MH)
- Recipients of the Grand Bauhinia Medal
- Heads of universities
- President of the City University of Hong Kong (Kuo Way, JP)
- President and Vice-Chancellor of the Hong Kong Baptist University (Roland T Chin, BBS, JP)
- President of the Hong Kong Shue Yan University (Henry Hud)
- President of the Lingnan University (Leonard Cheng, BBS, JP)
- Vice-Chancellor and President of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Rocky Tuan)
- President of the Education University of Hong Kong (Stephen Cheung, BBS, JP)
- President of the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (Simon Ho)
- President of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Jin-Guang Teng)
- President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Wei Shyy, JP)
- President of the Open University of Hong Kong (Wong Yuk-shan, SBS, JP)
- Vice-Chancellor and President the University of Hong Kong (Xiang Zhang, JP)
- Other members of the High Court:
- Justices of Appeal of the Court of Appeal
- Judges of the Court of First Instance
- Public commissioners:
- Chairman of the Public Service Commission (Rita Lau, GBS, JP)
- The Ombudsman (Winnie Chiu, PDSM)
- Consuls-in-Charge/Honorary Consuls (Foreign country diplomats to Hong Kong)
- Permanent Secretaries, Under Secretaries and Officials of Directorate Grade 6 Rank and above
- Judges of the District Court:
- Chief District Judge (Justin Ko)
- Principal Family Court Judge (Chan Chan-kok)
- Other District Judges
- District Council Chairmen
- Recipients of the Gold Bauhinia Star
- Justices of the Peace
- Members of District Councils
- District Council Vice Chairmen
- Other District Council Members
Hong Kong order of precedence until 1997
Office holders on 1 June 1997 in brackets:[4][5]
- Governor (Chris Patten)
- Chief Justice (Noel Power (Acting))
- Chief Secretary (Anson Chan, CBE, JP)
- Commander British Forces in Hong Kong, if of the rank of major general (Major-General Bryan Dutton, CBE)
- Heads of Churches
- Bishop of Hong Kong (Bishop Peter Kwong)
- Roman Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong (Cardinal John Wu)
- Financial Secretary (Donald Tsang, OBE, JP)
- Attorney General (Jeremy Fell Mathews, CMG, JP)
- President of the Legislative Council (Andrew Wong, OBE, JP)
- Members of the Executive Council
- Other members of the Legislative Council
- Diplomatic Officers
- Commonwealth Commissioners and Consuls-General de Carriere
- Acting Commonwealth Commissioners and Acting Consuls-General de Carriere
- Honorary Consuls-General
- Senior British Trade Commissioner (Francis Cornish, CMG, LVO)
- Heads of Universities
- President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Woo Chia-wei, CBE)
- President and Vice-Chancellor of the Hong Kong Baptist University (Daniel Tse, CBE, JP)
- President of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Poon Chung-kwong, OBE, JP)
- Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong (Patrick Cheng, CBE, JP)
- President of the City University of Hong Kong (Chang Hsin-kang)
- Vice-Chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Arthur Li)
- Judges of the Supreme Court
- Knights
- Heads of Public service units
- Commissioner of police (Eddie Hui, QPM, CPM)
- Chairman of the Public Service Commission (Haider Hatim Tyebjee Barma, CBE, ISO, JP)
- The Ombudsman (Andrew So, OBE, JP)
- Commissioner, Independent Commission Against Corruption (Lily Yam, JP)
- Chairman of the Urban Council (Ronald Leung, OBE, JP)
- Chairman of the Regional Council (Daniel Lam, JP)
- Consuls de Carriere who are Heads of Post
- Honorary Consuls who are Heads of Post
- Other Secretaries and Heads of Group I Departments
- Chief of Staff and Senior Naval Officer (Commodore Peter John Melson, CBE)
- Hong Kong Commissioner in London (Sir David Robert Ford, KBE, LVO, JP)
- Other Members of the Urban and Regional Councils
- Administrative Officer Staff Grade "A" and Heads of Departments of similar status
- District Judges
- District Board Chairmen
- Companions, Commanders, Officers and Members of Orders of Chivalry
- Justices of the Peace
Notes
- a.^ Also the Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and will be treated as a guest at SAR functions.
- b.^ Also a member of the Legislative Council
- c.^ Also a District Council Chairman.
- d.^ Henry Hu appeared in an earlier precedence as a recipient of the Grand Bauhinia Medal.
- e.^ The most recent holder of this position, Michael Yeung, died on 3 January 2019.
See also
References
- Leach, A. J. (1890). The ordinances of the Legislative council of the colony of... Noronha & Co. Govt. Printers. p. 434.
- Ghai, Yash P. (1999). Hong Kong's New Constitutional Order. Hong Kong University Press. p. 543. ISBN 978-962-209-463-5.
- "HKSAR Precedence List" (PDF). Protocol Division Government Secretariat, Government of Hong Kong. March 2020.
- "Hong Kong Precedence List (1 June 1997)". 1 June 1997.
- CR 5/511/97(98)Pt 4, Legislative Council of Hong Kong