"I will make an announcement in due course," Lam said yesterday when asked if he had decided whether to step down.

Lam drew fire in June after he voiced support for Beijing's contentious white paper, which emphasised its control over Hong Kong, while the society's council was still deciding on its response to the document.

Many lawyers said the paper - which described judges as administrators who must love China - threatened the city's judicial independence.

The unprecedented vote drew the attention of the state-run , which published an editorial last Saturday saying it was "ridiculous" to topple Lam, who advocated patriotism.

Council member Junius Ho Kwan-yiu had earlier suggested that Lam should resign.

Another council member, who preferred not to be named, echoed Ho's view yesterday, but added: "It was a no-confidence vote against him as president. He can still stay in the council."

Should Lam step down, the council will elect a new president from among its members. Hung, one of the two vice-presidents, has been tipped by a few council members as a suitable candidate.

Hung, a criminal lawyer admitted in 1995, declined to comment. The other vice-president, Thomas So Shiu-tsung, could not be reached for comment. A specialist in mainland matters, So was admitted in 1988.

Kevin Yam Kin-fung, who initiated the vote against Lam, said his group would give the council time to act: "If they decide to keep Lam, we will see what members think and decide the next move."