Joseph Fok Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable Mr Justice
Joseph Paul Fok
Native Name Lang:zh-hk
Honorific-Suffix:PJ
Office1:Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal
Term Start1:21 October 2013
Office2:Designated National Security Law Judge
Term Start2:2021
Appointer2:Carrie Lam
Office3:Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court
Term Start3:2011
Term End3:2013
Office4:Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court
Term Start4:2010
Term End4:2011
Office5:Recorder of the Court of First Instance of the High Court
Term Start5:2003
Term End5:2009
Birth Date:24 September 1962
Birth Place:Hong Kong
Parents:Dr Alison Bell Fok and Dr Peter Hin-tak Fok
Alma Mater:University College London

Joseph Paul Fok (born 24 September 1962) is a Permanent Judge of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.

Early life

Fok is one of five children of Dr Alison Bell and Dr Peter Fok Hin-tak.

Fok obtained a Bachelor of Laws with honours from University College London in the United Kingdom in 1984. He attended the Inns of Court School of Law and passed the Bar Examination in 1985. He was called to the English Bar in 1985 and to the Hong Kong Bar in 1986.[1]

Legal career

Fok was in private practice in Hong Kong from January 1987, and on a part-time ad hoc basis in Singapore between March 2002 and March 2006. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 1999. He was a member of Temple Chambers.[2]

Judicial career

Fok was appointed a Recorder of the Court of First Instance of the High Court from 2003 to 2009.

On 1 July 2006, Fok was appointed a justice of the peace.[3] [4]

He joined the Judiciary as a Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court on 1 February 2010. Fok was appointed a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court on 1 February 2011.

He was appointed a Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal in 2013, replacing Mr Justice Patrick Chan.[5] At 51 years and 28 days, he was the third youngest-ever judge to be appointed to the Court of Final Appeal, behind Kemal Bokhary and Andrew Li.

On 25 September 2015, Fok was elected a Bencher of the Middle Temple.[6]

In May 2023, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) of the United States Congress suggested the United States government imposing sanctions on Fok to counter the erosion of democratic freedoms in Hong Kong over his handling of Jimmy Lai's national security law case.[7] [8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Curriculum Vitae of The Honourable Mr. Justice Joseph Paul Fok. Hong Kong Government Information Department. 19 February 2023.
  2. Web site: History Temple Chambers . . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20200307133809/https://www.templechambers.com/about . 7 March 2020.
  3. https://www.gld.gov.hk/egazette/pdf/20061015e/egn2006101518.pdf "G.N.(E.) 18"
  4. Web site: Justices of the Peace Appointments . Info.gov.hk . . 1 July 2006.
  5. http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1210223/top-court-gets-new-permanent-judge Top Court Gets New Permanent Judge
  6. Web site: Masters of the Bench: The Hon Mr Justice Joseph Fok . . 12 May 2022.
  7. News: ONE CITY, TWO LEGAL SYSTEMS: HONG KONG JUDGES' ROLE IN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS UNDER THE NATIONAL SECURITY LAW. Congressional-Executive Commission on China. 10 May 2023.
  8. News: No bail should be granted to defendants charged under national security law, says prosecutor. 1 February 2021. The Standard.