'Jumping the garden wall' pays dividends

Professional of the Year: Miriam Lau A combination of talent, dedication and achievement gave the judges a 'clear winner' for the Professional of the Year Award category at the 2007 Women of Influence Awards organised by the American Chamber of Commerce and the South China Morning Post. In terms of influential and dedicated people in Hong Kong, men or women, it would be hard to look past Miriam Lau Kin-yee - vice-chairman of the Liberal Party, legislator, solicitor, notary public, China-appointed attesting officer, JP, OBE and holder of the Gold Bauhinia Star. It is Ms Lau's success in two simultaneous career paths, law and politics, that appealed to the judges. Awards judge Camille Tang said that in selecting the winners, the judges 'looked beyond passion and excellence in skills alone. We looked to celebrating women who have 'jumped the garden wall', that is these individuals have created or operated within a platform which reaches beyond the 'garden wall' of their own profession or community'. Ms Lau said she looked upon two women as role models - former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and China's Vice-Premier Wu Yi. Both are renowned for their dogged determination and have proved outstandingly successful in career worlds dominated by men. Ms Lau's own story reflects the same determination and success. She has four sisters, all born in Hong Kong, while she was born in Guangzhou two years before the family moved here. 'I spent my primary and secondary school years at Maryknoll [Convent School] in Kowloon Tong and from there went to the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and majored in English. I graduated in 1968 and worked with the Advertising & Publicity Bureau - the first advertising company in Hong Kong - for six years. 'During that time I started studying law on my own and sat for the then Law Society qualifying external examination, and I qualified in 1977. 'If you really want it you can do it, and I did,' she recalled. 'There were so few lawyers then, around 1,000 in Hong Kong at that time, and maybe one-tenth were women. Nowadays there are many more women, which is encouraging. 'In much of the last century, generally the perception was it was a man's world and there was no place for women, in the field of politics and even in the field of law - when I entered 30 years ago, there were so few women. 'Men would think you were [just] something pretty to look at, and you had to work hard to show them 'we want you to judge us on our merits and capabilities'. 'HKU started a law faculty in 1969, one year after I graduated, and now I hear it tends to admit more women than men. 'The number of women lawyers is increasing rapidly. Sometimes I hear complaints that they are overtaking the men,' she laughed. 'I haven't counted, but it's encouraging that there are many more now than back in those days.' In 1977 a long career in law began, part of a larger vocational canvas that portrays decades of determination, hard work and ultimately success. 'I started off with a small firm partnering with my husband [Alfred Lau & Co],' she said. 'I started my own firm in 2001 and then this year I merged my firm with Ronald Arculli [Arculli, Fong & Ng]. Ms Lau has also practised as a notary public since 1987 and as a China-Appointed attesting officer since 1995. In 1988 she began what she regards as her crowning achievement - making the move into politics and using her legal strengths for the community, as well as juggling a legal career. 'I guess my biggest achievement - well in 1988 I was appointed a legislator, and since 1995 I have been an elected one as well - so it's a combination of practising law and my duties as a legislator; they are both a big challenge,' she said. 'It's important as a practising lawyer and legislator to identify areas of law where difficulties are created. 'We have a common law system and we do have statute law, and sometimes when these laws are written certain difficulties are created. I bring this to Legco's attention to urge changes in those laws, and over the years I have helped in changing many laws, or sections of laws, in this way. 'I've also been involved in promoting youth as a member of the youth commission, where I actually helped draft the Charter for Youth [in 1991], which I could not have done without my legal background.' Other examples of her achievements include her part in setting up the Family Court in Hong Kong and raising the age of criminal responsibility from seven to 10. She wants it raised further, to 14. As chairman of the Subcommittee on Guardianship and Custody of the Law Reform Commission, Ms Lau championed the introduction of the concept of joint parental responsibility to replace the conventional arrangement of custody and access. She has also advocated the concept of mediation in family cases to reduce the need to resort to the adversarial system of the courts. On the environmental front, as far back as 1995 when she was elected Legislative Councillor representing the transport constituency, she pioneered the idea of taxis and light buses converting to LPG and remains an advocate for the use of cleaner fuels and technology to reduce air pollution from vehicles. Her public service record includes chairmanship or membership on a string of committees in areas including law reform, policing, justice, transport, health and the arts. 'Margaret Thatcher is one of my favourite women. She demonstrates that even in a man's world, providing you are able to exert yourself and give yourself sufficient confidence, you are able to excel,' Ms Lau said. 'Wu Yi is more recent. Again she is a strong woman. I believe that women can show the men - it's just the psychological barrier that sometimes holds them back.' As far as her future ambitions go Ms Lau, like any good politician, reveals little. 'I hope to continue to contribute to the community. Politically, I am a legislator and deputy president, and I will be around to serve the community with whatever capabilities I have.' Judge's comment 'There were 18 candidates for the Professional of the Year Women of Influence Awards category and Miriam Lau was a clear winner. 'Miriam has impacted life quality and policies across the transport, judicial, legal, women's, youth and environmental sectors. Her effectiveness involves partnering, tying in stakeholders who are asymmetric in their capacity to summon up resources, advocacy and power. 'Some of these stakeholders include children, citizens, companies, government and political parties. For the above reasons, judges considered Miriam Lau a distinctive trigger and a precedent of influence.' Camille Tang, chief financial officer and co-founder, ConvenientPower