Sir Oswald Cheung's Chambers

In 1965, Oswald Cheung set up these Chambers. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in the same year, being the first Chinese to be appointed Queen’s Counsel in Hong Kong. Sir Oswald Cheung’s Chambers is one of the oldest sets of barristers’ chambers in Hong Kong. There were four founding members: Oswald Cheung QC, Gerald de Basto, Charles Ching and Ronald Arculli. Early members of Chambers also included Andrew Li and Kemal Bokhary, who said in his Recollections that every founding member of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal had at one time practised from the north-east corner of the 7th Floor of Prince’s Building. Three out of the four had spent their early days in these Chambers. In 1986, Chambers moved to its present address on 10th Floor, New Henry House with only six members, but soon expanded. Annexes were set up on other floors of the building. Robert Tang QC, who succeeded Sir Oswald Cheung as head of Chambers in 2003, joined in 1986. After he was elevated to the bench, he was succeeded by the present head of Chambers, Edward Chan SC. At present, there are 39 full members, 4 of whom are Senior Counsel. Throughout his life, Sir Oswald Cheung had a passion to assist the young. This was why he took the lead to establish the chambers system in Hong Kong. Today, the policy of Chambers remains one of helping new comers to the Bar whenever possible. As a matter of coincidence rather than design, the practice of Chambers is predominantly civil, though every area of practice is covered. Another feature is the tradition of public service, not only serving as Chairmen and committee members of the Bar Association and as members of the Legislative Council, but also participating in community service through a wide range of public bodies. In the history of the Hong Kong Bar Association, no fewer than eight Bar Chairmen have practised at Sir Oswald Cheung’s Chambers.