Hong Kong order of precedence

The Hong Kong order of precedence is a nominal and symbolic hierarchy of important positions within the Government of Hong Kong.^[1] Administered by the government's Protocol Division, the hierarchy does not determine the order of succession for the office of Chief Executive, which is instead specified by the Basic Law of Hong Kong.

As a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong maintains autonomy on all affairs other than defence and foreign relations. Reflecting that status, the order of precedence does not include state and party leaders of the Central People's Government. Government officials from mainland China are generally treated as special guests when attending Hong Kong government functions.^[2]

Hong Kong SAR order of precedence

1. Chief Executive (CY Leung, GBM, GBS, JP) ^[3]
2. Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal (Geoffrey Ma GBM, GBS, JP)
3. Former Chief Executives
   1. Tung Chee Hwa^a, GBM
   2. Donald Tsang, GBM
4. Chief Secretary for Administration (Carrie Lam, GBS, JP)
5. Financial Secretary (John Tsang, JP)
6. Secretary for Justice (Rimsky Yuen, SC, JP)
7. President of the Legislative Council and Members of the Executive Council:
   1. President of the Legislative Council (Andrew Leung, GBS, JP)
   2. Convenor of the Executive Council (Lam Woon-kwong, GBS, JP)
   3. Other members of the Executive Council:
      1. Cheng Yiu-tong, GBS, JP
      2. Laura Cha, GBS, JP
      3. Secretary for Transport and Housing (Anthony Cheung, GBS, JP)
      4. Secretary for Labour and Welfare (Matthew Cheung, GBS, JP)
      5. Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Ceajer Chan, GBS, JP)
      6. Anna Wu, GBS, JP
      7. Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Gregory So, JP)
      8. Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs (Raymond Tam, JP)
      9. Arthur Li, GBS, JP
      10. Andrew Liao, GBS, SC, JP
      11. Chow Chung-kong
      12. Secretary for Security (Lai Tung-kwok, SBS, IDSM, JP)
      13. Cheung Hok-ming^ac, GBS, JP
      14. Secretary for Education (Eddie Ng, SBS, JP)
      15. Fanny Law, GBS, JP
      16. Secretary for Food and Health (Ko Wing-man, BBS, JP)
      17. Cheung Chi-kong, BBS
      18. Secretary for the Environment (Wong Kam-sing, JP)
      19. Bernard Chan, GBS, JP
      20. Secretary for Development (Paul Chan, MH, JP)
      21. Regina Ip^b, GBS, JP
      22. Jeffrey Lam^b, GBS, JP
      23. Secretary for Innovation and Technology (Nicholas Yang, JP)
      24. Secretary for Home Affairs (Lau Kong-wah, JP)
      25. Secretary for the Civil Service (Clement Cheung, JP)
      26. Ip Kwok-him^b, GBS, JP
8. Other principal officials:
   1. Commissioner, Independent Commission Against Corruption (Simon Peh, SBS, IDSM)
   2. Commissioner of Police (Lo Wai-chung, PDSM)
   3. Director of Audit (David Sun, JP)
   4. Commissioner of Customs and Excise (Roy Tang, JP)
   5. Director of Immigration (Erick Tsang, IDSM)
9. Other members of the Court of Final Appeal and Chief Judge of the High Court:
   1. Permanent Judges of the Court of Final Appeal:
      1. Robert Ribeiro
      2. Robert Tang, SBS, JP
      3. Joseph Fok
   2. Non-Permanent Judges of the Court of Final Appeal:
   3. Chief Judge of the High Court (Andrew Cheung)
10. Other members of the Legislative Council
11. Consuls-General (Foreign country diplomats to Hong Kong)
12. Religious leaders:
    1. Archbishop of Hong Kong (Paul Kwong)
    2. President of the Hong Kong Buddhist Association (Sik Chi Wai, SBS)
    3. Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong (John Tong Hon, JP)
    4. President of the Confucian Academy (Tong Yun-kai, BBS)
    5. Chairman of the Chinese Muslim Cultural and Fraternal Association (Sat Che-sang)
    6. Chairman of the Hong Kong Christian Council (Yuen Tin-yau)
    7. Chairman of the Hong Kong Taoist Association (Leung Tak-wah, BBS, MH)
13. Recipients of the Grand Bauhinia Medal
14. Heads of universities
    1. President of the City University of Hong Kong (Kuo Way, JP)
    2. President and Vice-Chancellor of the Hong Kong Baptist University (Roland T. Chin, BBS, JP)
    3. President of the Lingnan University (Leonard Cheng, BBS, JP)
    4. Vice-Chancellor/President of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Joseph Sung, SBS, JP)
    5. President of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Timothy W. Tong, JP)
    6. President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Tony F. Chan, JP)
    7. Vice-Chancellor and President the University of Hong Kong (Peter William Mathieson)
    8. President of the Open University of Hong Kong (Wong Yuk-shan, BBS, JP)
    9. President of the Hong Kong Shue Yan University (Henry Hu^d)
15. Other members of the High Court:
    1. Justices of Appeal of the Court of Appeal
    2. Judges of the Court of First Instance
16. Public commissioners:
    1. Chairman of the Public Service Commission (Rita Lau, GBS)
    2. The Ombudsman (Connie Lau, JP)
17. Consuls-in-Charge/Honorary Consuls (Foreign country diplomats to Hong Kong)
18. Permanent Secretaries, Officials of Directorate Grade 6 Rank and above
19. Judges of the District Court:
    1. Chief Judge of the District Court (Poon Siu-tung)
    2. Principal Family Court Judge (Bruno Chan)
    3. Other District Judges
20. District Council Chairmen
21. Recipients of the Gold Bauhinia Star
22. Justices of the Peace
23. Members of District Councils
    1. District Council Vice Chairmen
    2. Other District Council Members

Hong Kong order of precedence (Pre-1997)

Last office holders, if available, prior to the Handover in brackets:^[4]

1. Governor (Chris Patten)
2. Chief Justice (Sir Noel Power (Acting))
3. Chief Secretary (Anson Chan)
4. Commander British Forces in Hong Kong, if of the rank of Major General (Major-General Bryan Dutton)
5. Heads of Churches
   1. Bishop of Hong Kong (Bishop Peter Kwong)
   2. Roman Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong (Cardinal John Wu)
6. Financial Secretary (Sir Donald Tsang)
7. Attorney General (Jeremy Fell Mathews)
8. President of the Legislative Council (Andrew Wong)
9. Members of the Executive Council
10. Other members of the Legislative Council
11. Diplomatic Officers
    1. Commonwealth Commissioners and Consuls-General de Carriere
    2. Acting Commonwealth Commissioners and Acting Consuls-General de Carriere
    3. Honorary Consuls-General
    4. Senior British Trade Commissioner
12. Heads of Universities
13. Judges of the Supreme Court
    1. Justices of Appeal
    2. Judges of the High Court
14. Knights
15. Heads of Public service units
    1. Commissioner of police (Eddie Hui)
    2. Chairman of the Public Service Commission (Haider Hatim Tyebjee Barma)
    3. Ombudsman (Andrew So)
    4. Chairman of the Urban Council (Ronald Leung)
    5. Chairman of the Regional Council (Cheung Yan-lung)
16. Consuls de Carriere who are Heads of Post
17. Honorary Consuls who are Heads of Post
18. Other Secretaries and Heads of Group I Departments
19. Chief of Staff and Senior Naval Officer
20. Hong Kong Commissioner in London (Sir David Robert Ford)
21. Other Members of the Urban and Regional Councils
22. Administrative Officer Staff Grade "A" and Heads of Departments of similar status
23. District Judges
24. District Board Chairmen
25. Companions, Commanders, Officers and Members of Orders of Chivalry
26. Justices of the Peace

Notes

a.^ Also the Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

b.^ Also a member of the Legislative Council

c.^ Also a District Council Chairman.

d.^ Henry Hu appeared in an earlier precedence as a recipient of the Grand Bauhinia Medal.

See also

• Hong Kong honours system

References

1. Leach, A. J. (1890). The ordinances of the Legislative council of the colony of... Noronha & Co. Govt. Printers. p. 434.
2. Ghai, Yash P. (1999). Hong Kong's New Constitutional Order. Hong Kong University Press. p. 543. ISBN 978-962-209-463-5.
3. "HKSAR Precedence List" (PDF). Government of Hong Kong. September 2012.
4. CR 5/511/97(98)Pt 4, Legislative Council of Hong Kong

External links

• Protocol Division Government Secretariat