Registrars are appointed by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong to assist in the work of Hong Kong's various courts, including the Court of Final Appeal, the High Court, and the District Court. Registrars may also hold a concurrent judicial role, such as being a judge, in the lower courts.
Duties of the Registrar of the Court of Final Appeal
The Registrar will consider each leave application (applying to appear in front of the Court of Final Appeal) has any reasonable grounds for arguing an appeal. If an appeal is considered arguable, it will appear before an Appeal Committee, who will then make a final decision. If the Registrar determines there is no grounds for an appeal, a "Rule 7 Summons" will be issued, in which the applicant is invited to show on paper why the Appeals Committee should hear their appeal.
The Registrar also helps with listing cases and liaising with the non-permanent judges from both Hong Kong and other common law jurisdictions on sitting in appeal cases.
List of Registrars of the Court of Final Appeal
| No. | Name | Term of office | Concurrent judicial role | Reason for tenure end | Appointed by | Silk | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mr. Edward Timothy Starbuck Woolley | 1997 | 1999 | None / full-time registrar | Retired | Tung Chee-hwa | |
| — | Mr. Christopher Chan Cheuk, BBS (acting) | 1999 | 2000 | District Judge | Appointed Registrar of the High Court | Tung Chee-hwa | |
| — | Ms. Betty Kwan Ka-ching, BBS (acting) | 2000 | 2002 | Deputy Registrar of the High Court | Retired | Tung Chee-hwa | |
| — | The Hon Madam Justice Queeny Au-yeung Kwai-yue (acting) | 2002 | 2007 | Registrar of the District Court (2002–03)
District Judge (2003–07) |
Appointed Registrar of the High Court | Tung Chee-hwa | |
| — | Mr. Simon Kwang Cheok-weung (acting) | 2007 | 2014 | District Judge
Temporary Deputy Registrar of the High Court |
Appointed full-time Registrar of the Court of Final Appeal | Donald Tsang | |
| 2 | Mr. Simon Kwang Cheok-weung | 2014 | 2018 | Senior Deputy Registrar of the High Court | Appointed Registrar of the High Court | Leung Chun-ying | |
| — | His Honor Judge Wong King-wah (acting) | 2018 | 2023 | District Judge | Appointed full-time Registrar of the Court of Final Appeal | Carrie Lam | |
| 3 | His Honor Judge Wong King-wah | 2023 | Senior Deputy Registrar of the High Court | John Lee Ka-chiu | |||
Ref
- "The Registrar". Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.