Cautious observers say new man has a hard act to follow
Equal opportunities groups gave a mixed response yesterday to the news of Michael Wong Kin-chow's appointment.
Some questioned the criteria used to appoint him, although they expressed confidence in his ability to be independent and knowledgable of the law.
The Home Affairs Bureau said Mr Wong was active in community service for the disabled. He also chairs the administrative appeals board.
Born on the mainland in 1936, Mr Wong obtained his law degree from the University of Liverpool and was called to the English bar in 1962. He then joined the Legal Department (now the Department of Justice) as crown counsel in 1966 and quickly climbed the ladder to reach the post of assistant principal crown counsel in 1973.
He joined the judiciary in 1973 and was appointed district judge in 1977 and judge of the High Court in 1985. He is also a former chairman of the Society for Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention.
Among memorable judgments he made was one on a failed sexual harassment case brought by a former social worker expressing concern about men who stripped to the waist to work.
The woman said it was 'a crime' for working men to go shirtless, singling out a newspaper vendor and a vegetable stall owner. Mr Wong suggested to the appellant that 'Some statues of the Buddha do not wear anything on the top either'.
Another senior counsel said Mr Wong was a good judge and one of the longest serving members of the judiciary.
'I have no doubt about his independence but I don't know if there is the spirit to fight for people who need to be protected and to enter controversies or drag the government to court as Anna Wu did,' he said.
Human rights solicitor Mark Daly said he was sorry to see Ms Wu go. 'The human rights community will be closely scrutinising the new chairman. Anna will be hard to replace,' he said.
