By Junius Ho in response to Kevin Yam.
When I was elected as a Council Member of the Law Society of Hong Kong 22 years ago, I pledged to serve the legal profession with my best endeavours. Although I am pretty well occupied in discharging my duties as a Legislative Council Member these days, I still uphold my pledge to serve the legal profession as promised.
This year, I am standing for the Law Society Council Election again. There are eight candidates contesting for five seats. I do believe that competition will help make progress but it has to be conducted in a fair and gentlemen manner.
In the late evening of 11 May 2017, I received an onward transmission with a Chinese article published in the electronic pages of Apple Daily entitled “一票不投何君堯”. It literally means “Casting no vote for Ho Kwan Yiu (Junius)”. The article was written by Kevin Yam Kin Fung, a purported practising solicitor. In the article, he said, he could not remain silent and challenged my integrity. He further said that I am not a suitable candidate for being a Law Society Council Member because of my “Seven Sins”. The allegations against me are serious which are of course not true and without any substance. They are actually tantamount to defamation.
In reply to Kevin’s first allegation that my dual role as a Legislative Council Member will conflict and compromise my role as a Law Society Council Member. That is nonsense. On the contrary, evidence shows that interest of the profession is much better protected through my collaboration with other lawyer members at the Legislative Council.
As far as my political stance is concerned, it is crystal clear that I am patriotic and I love my home city, Hong Kong. I strive to maintain its stability and prosperity.
I exercise my freedom of speech and urge for upholding the rule of law. I voice out my constituents’ concern that those who advocated and subsequently acted in breach of law to occupy Central should be prosecuted. So, how could it be right for him to accuse me for interfering with the independent work of the Justice Department.
It is inappropriate for Kevin to have taken things out of the context and criticized me for being contemptuous to courts, female or homosexuals. Which are again not true.
He intentionally twists the facts to fit for the purpose best known to him. The reasons why he does it like that are probably two: his different political stance from mine, and his personal grudge. He supported his associates advocating Occupy Central. He disagreed with the Law Society’s position while under my presidency in that the law may disqualify some people from standing for election due to their non-fulfillment of certain legal requirements.
All in all, Kevin’s allegations against me are unfounded. I have already issued him a formal demand for an apology to my satisfaction by noon of next Tuesday, failing which, I will sue him undoubtedly.
Junius Ho is a lawyer and Legislative Council member. The views expressed above are the author’s own, and do not represent the views of his law firm, organisations to which he belongs.
