HONG KONG (SE): Christian legal practitioners gathered to mark the opening of the Legal Year on January 13 at St. Joseph’s Church, Central, where they prayed for justice and the rule of law in society.
Organised by Thomas More Society, the service was officiated by John Cardinal Tong Hon, that apostolic administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong together with Bishop Andrew Chan Au-ming of the Western Kowloon Diocese of the Anglican Church. On the same afternoon, an opening ceremony of the Legal Year was held at the City Hall, in Central.
At the beginning of the celebration, Cardinal Tong urged those present to pray for the legal system, justice, the protection of the innocent as well as the rule of law.
Geoffrey Ma Tao-li, chief justice of the Court of Final Appeal and Jeremy Poon Shiu-chor, chief justice of the High Court, led the readings, while students of Good Hope School served as the choir.
Regional vicar for East Asia of Opus Dei, Father Joseph Buzzo, said in his homily that legal practitioners have most difficult duties at present. He urged people to pray for them in this time of trial and for the whole of Hong Kong. He encouraged legal practitioners to listen with humility, work hard to uphold the rule of law and surrender everything to God. He also reminded them to be virtuous professionals who maintain a close relationship with God.
Anthony Ismail, chairperson of Thomas More Society, led participants in prayer for the local judicial system, legal practitioners, police officers, correctional services officers, prisoners and their families, political criminals as well as the persecuted people.
Thomas Wong Wai-kit, a member of the Thomas More Society, said judges and legal practitioners have a responsibility to uphold the core value of the rule of law. He believes courts and judges play an important role as they are the last protective wall for the core values of Hong Kong.
He hopes that the people of Hong Kong will have confidence in the courts amid the present social unrest and expressed his appreciation for the legal practitioners giving free support for the arrested people.
Barrister, Martin Lee Chu-ming, who proclaimed the responsorial psalm, told the Kung Kao Po that the opening ceremony of the Legal Year sends a message that judges have to serve people with fairness and legal practitioners have to do their best to help others.
He emphasised that under the principle of One Country, Two Systems, the separation of powers applies to Hong Kong so the judicial system should be independent from the executive and legislative branches of government, which is a way to protect the rule of law and uphold justice.
