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Junius K. Y. Ho (何君堯) was born on 4 June 1962. He is the Senior Partner of a law firm in Hong Kong and a Principal Representative of a law firm in Guangzhou. He is also the Immediate Past President of the Law Society of Hong Kong and an Independent Director of Hong Kong Football Association Limited.

His major practice is civil litigation and he specializes in shareholders’ disputes and family disputes. He has handled a case relating to the shareholders’ disputes concerning a famous golf club in Shenzhen and another case relating to the disputes between family members who run casino business.

He used to lived in Tuen Mun and he was elected as the Indigenous Village Representative of Leung Tin Village in 2011. In April 2011, he was elected as the Chairman of Tuen Mun Rural Committee in place of Mr. Lau Wong Fat, who held the position for more than 40 years and he became a member of Tuen Mun District Council and Executive Committee of Heung Yee Kuk respectively. He was elected as the President of the Law Society of Hong Kong and appointed as an Independent Director of Hong Kong Football Association Limited in 2011. During his term as President of the Law Society of Hong Kong, he was keen on expressing his views on current issues including constitutional development.

He was a candidate in the Legislative Council Election in New Territories West in September 2012 and is a spokesman for the New Territories Concern Group. In early 2012 through to late December 2012, he was reported in the news to be rather vocal on the heated topic of illegal structures

He currently advocates promoting plasma gasification.

Education

• He studied at the Queen's College Hong Kong from 1975 to 1979.
• He studied in the United Kingdom at Anglia Ruskin University (formerly known as Chelmer Institute of Higher Education) from 1979 obtaining his Bachelor of Law's degree in 1984.
• He returned to Hong Kong and became a Post-graduate at the University of Hong Kong in 1984 and obtained his Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL) in 1986.
• He was awarded with the honorary Doctor of Laws by Anglia Ruskin University in 2011.

Career

After gaining his qualifications he was admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong in 1988 and was similarly admitted in other jurisdictions in Singapore and England and Wales in 1995 and 1997.

He was appointed a China-Appointed Attesting Officer in 2003.

He became the Vice-President (June 2005 - May 2011) and Council Member of the Law Society of Hong Kong (May 2012 – Present) and was elected as the President of the Law Society of Hong Kong (May 2011 - May 2012).

He was elected as Chairman of Tuen Mun Rural Committee in 2011 and he holds the posts of Ex officio member of Tuen Mun District Council and Ex officio executive member of the 33rd Executive Committee of Heung Yee Kuk.

Overview of works

He is active and vocal in various social issues unlike those politically affiliated politician, he is a pro-establishment liberal who is always willing to criticize the government when she is considered wrong in her policy.

Vanguarding the Democratic Election Process

During his law society presidency in 2011/2012, he openly disavowed the government's proposal for dispensing with by-elections for saving expenses in filling up vacancies caused by deliberate resignation of any LegCo Members. His view was that any vacancy in the Legco department should be open for election. Junius proposed for a law to be passed to restrict any LegCo member from standing for by- election by public vote ( www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=112618&sid=32874115&con_type=1&d_str=20110629&sear_year=2011 ). A public consultation was announced which later showed an overwhelming majority in favour of restricting LegCo members from standing the subsequent by-election ( www.hk-lawyer.org/en/article.asp?articleid=405&c=94&cpg=30 ). Subsequently the revised Legislative Council (Amendment) Bill (2012) (re. Legislative Council Ordinance Cap. 542 s.39) restricts any resigned member of the LegCo from joining any by-elections within six months was passed in 2013.

Vanguarding the Constitutionally Rights

During the saga of the illegal structures of New Territories Exempted Houses, he was reported to be protecting constitutional rights. In an attempt to purge the longstanding and historical problem of illegal structures in Hong Kong, the government introduced a registration scheme for house owners to make declarations for any breaches of law in exchange for a 5-year amnesty. Junius criticized the government for exerting undue influence on house owners to confess and make declarations contrary to the basic constitutional right of remaining silent ( www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1115518/200000-village-house-owners-face-warnings-over-illegal-structures?page=all).

He established the New Territories Concern Group with those who shared his belief and lobbied with the government and other political parties for changing the Buildings Ordinance to allow house owners to apply for enhancing their homes formally. This appeal was warmly received across New Territories. ( www.ntconcerngp.com/aboutus/aboutus.php ).

Running the “Protect Central” Campaign

( programme.rthk.hk/channel/radio/programme.php?name=radio3%2Fbackchat&p=514&pid=104820&m=photo&e=274765 )

Junius openly criticized that Benny Tai and those who in name of fighting for a genuine universal suffrage for the Chief Executive in 2017 were wrong in agitating the public to use civil disobedience as a means to force the Central Government and the SAR to subside. He expressed his view that Occupy Central was actually a reversing act of democracy and the rule of law. He set up the Protect Central Group on 23rd September 2014 should appeal to the public for them to not be misguided by the Occupy Central ( www.chinadailyasia.com/hknews/2014-09/24/content_15169861.html ). He suggested that any individual who may be affected by Occupy Central may apply to Court for injunctive reliefs and damages against the diligent protestors. He further urged the SAR Government to take certain pre-emptive measures to diffuse the crisis before it happened. The government was reported not to avert and the crisis eventually broke out on 28th September 2014. The government fired 87 rounds of tear gas at the crowd which did not disperse but spread into three major zones in Hong Kong, namely, Admiralty, Causeway Bay and Mongkok ( www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1603350/police-fire-tear-gas-and-baton-charge-thousands-occupy-central?page=all ). These unlawfully occupied areas created problems to traffic and social activities. After the lapse of 79 days, Occupy Central was eventually purged with the aid of court injunction orders ( www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1663305/how-will-justice-be-seen-be-done-wake-occupy-central-protests?page=all).

Supporting the Charitable Acts of Butterflyers

He founded Butterflyers Association Ltd in Tuen Mun in 2011 which is a registered S88 charitable body. With the butterfly effect and aggregation of each individual's kindness and participation, the charity’s aims is to inspire people to serve the communities. Although Butterflyers is a new charitable organization, it has embarked on various projects, such as, ceiling painting for elderly’s homes; free haircut for the fellow elderly and students; community concerts; elderly day- trips; pro bono legal services and publishing the book “Each Elderly Has A Story To Tell” ( www.butterflyers.net ).

District Council Work

He is an ex officio member of the Tuen Mun District Council. He advocates to reduce the extension of landfill area in Tuen Mun and opposes the government to incur the tax payers’ money for buying sunset technology for disposing domestic garbage in Hong Kong, namely, to build an environmental unfriendly incinerator at Shek Kwu Chau. He advocated for Plasma Gasification which he viewed as a more advanced, cleaner and more cost effective technology ( www.scmp.com/business/article/1396934/government-needs-rethink-its-waste-management-policy ). He is supportive of the proposal for building columbarium at Tuen Mun. He also actively commented on government’s developments in Area 5B around Siu Hong Yuen and Hung Shiu-Kui respectively. ( webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3A8VJXCMb4f6EJ%3Awww.scmp.com%2Fmagazines%2Fpost-magazine%2Farticle%2F1633340%2Fget-my-land+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=hk ).

Chronology

Personal life

He is married with 3 children and has 2 family dogs.

Current Positions

Business

• Committee Member of Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China – Guangdong
• Arbitrator of Wuhan International Arbitration Court and Zhengzhou Arbitration Commission
• Consultant of Guangzhou Municipal Board for International Investment

Charity

• Chairman of Yan Oi Tong (1996 – 1997)
• Advisory Board Member of Yan Oi Tong (1997 to present)
• Member of Concerted Efforts Resource Centre
• Honorary President of 2011-2012 Tuen Mun West District, New Territories Region, Scout Association of Hong Kong
• Vice President of 2009-2012 Yuen Long Western District, New Territories Region, Scout Association of Hong Kong

Community

• Chairman of the Mainland Legal Affairs of the Law Society of Hong Kong
• Committee/Council Member of Lord Wilson's Heritage Trust
• Committee/Council Member of Transport Advisory Committee of the Government of HKSAR
• Committee Member of Greater Pearl River Delta Business Council
• Committee Member of Professional Services Advisory Committee of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council
• Committee/Council Member of China Trade Advisory Committee of Hong Kong Trade Development Council
• Chairman of Product Eco-responsibility Appeal Board Panel
• Rotated Chairman of Duty Lawyer Service Council in 2005 and 2007

Political

• Indigenous Village Representative of Leung Tin Tsuen
• Chairman of Tuen Mun Rural Committee
• Ex Officio Member of Tuen Mun District Council
• Ex Officio Executive Member of the 33rd Executive Committee of Heung Yee Kok

References

1. List of Village Representatives, Home Affairs Department
2. Members of Executive Committee of Rural Committees (2011-2015), Home Affairs Department
3. 新界鄉議局議員芳名錄
4. The Law Society of Hong Kong elected a new President
5. Hong Kong Football Association Limited
10. TVB link
11. Anglia Ruskin University
12. Law List - The Law Society of Hong Kong
13. Council Members - The Law Society of Hong Kong
14. Tuen Mun District Council Members (2008 - 2011)
15. Heung Yee Kuk New Territories Members List thirty-second session（新界鄉議局第三十二屆議員芳名錄）
16. Chairman of Yan Oi Tong (1996 – 1997)
17. Advisory Board Member of Yan Oi Tong (1997 to present)
18. 2011-2012 年度區務委員會委員名錄
19. Environmental Protection Department - Product Eco-responsibility Appeal Board Panel
20. List of Village Representatives, Home Affairs Department

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• 1962 births
• Living people
• Hong Kong legal professionals
• District councillors of Tuen Mun District
• Indigenous inhabitants of the New Territories in Hong Kong