Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Secretary for Justice 律政司司長 |
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Style | The Honourable |
Member of |
Government Secretariat Executive Council |
Reports to | Legislative Council |
Residence | 19 Severn Road, The Peak |
Appointer |
Central People's Government nomination by Chief Executive |
Term length | No longer than the Chief Executive's remaining term |
Inaugural holder | Elsie Leung |
Formation | 1 July 1997 |
Website | DOJ |
The Secretary for Justice (Chinese: 律政司司長) is the head of the Hong Kong Department of Justice, the chief legal advisor to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, and the chief law enforcement officer of the Government of Hong Kong. Before the end of British rule in 1997, the position was known as the Attorney-General of Hong Kong.
The Secretary for Justice, after the Chief Secretary and the Financial Secretary, is one of the three highest Principal Officials of the Government. The Secretary for Justice belongs to the Policy Committee, chaired by the Chief Secretary, and is normally a member of the Executive Council.
The Secretary for Justice is nominated by the Chief Executive and takes office after appointment by the Government of the People's Republic of China, which is responsible for Hong Kong's foreign affairs and defence. The office of the Secretary for Justice was established by the Hong Kong Basic Law, which guarantees the power of the Department of Justice to control criminal prosecutions free from any interference.
The current Secretary for Justice is Rimsky Yuen, SC.
In the course of discharging his or her duties as the chief legal advisor to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, the Secretary for Justice is assisted by 5 law officers, namely:
The Secretary for Justice is the third in line, after the Chief Secretary and the Financial Secretary, to act for the Chief Executive when he or she is on leave, outside Hong Kong, or when the position is otherwise temporarily vacant.