The Secretary for Justice is the head of the Department
of Justice. This government official is appointed by the Central People's Government
of China after being nominated by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR Government.
The Secretary for Justice is the principal
legal adviser to the Chief Executive, to the HKSAR Government and to
the individual Government departments and agencies. The Secretary is
also a member of the Executive Council.
In addition to duties and responsibilities in relation to the conduct
of criminal
proceedings,
the Secretary for
Justice is the defendant in all civil actions brought against the Government.
The Secretary for Justice also has
a right to intervene in any case involving a matter of great public
interest e.g. to apply for judicial review to enforce public legal rights. The Secretary is also the ex
officio chairman of Law Reform Commission. The Commission considers for reform those
aspects of the laws of Hong Kong which are referred to it by the Secretary
for Justice or the Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal. |