Priscilla Leung
Encyclopedia
Priscilla Leung Mei-fun ' onMouseout='HidePop("29312")' href="/topics/Hong_Kong">Hong Kong
with family roots in Zhaoqing
, Guangdong
) is a Legislative Councillor
, representing the Kowloon West constituency. She is also a member of Kowloon City District
Council. She is a barrister
and an associate professor at City University of Hong Kong
's School of Law where her husband is the Dean.
and the pro-Beijing
Federation of Trade Unions in her bid for a Legco seat. She insists on being an independent
and not a Beijing loyalist.
During her LegCo election campaign, she staged a publicity stunt of catching rats in Yau Tsim Mong District
, earning her the nickname "Queen of Rats" .
had said "some people teach dog shit laws" ("教狗屎法律") in an apparent reference to Leung. Chan refused to withdraw his comment and LegCo president Tsang Yok-sing
subsequently ruled that no LegCo rules had been violated.
On 21 January 2010, in a response to the quasi-referendum on universal suffrage which was triggered by the resignation of five pro-democratic members of LegCo, Leung announced she would introduce a private member's bill which would forbid legislators from resigning unless they became ill or were convicted of a crime. Ronny Tong
criticized her move as a contravention of the Basic Law: he said such a bill would infringe the right to stand for elections protected under Article 26 and would be inconsistent with Article 74 which prohibits individual legislators from tabling bills that relate to the political structure. She also went on record stating that the resignations of the five legislators contravened the Basic Law of Hong Kong. However, in spite of her background as a teacher of constitutional law
, she failed to substantiate her claim. Her move has been regarded as both opportunistic and reactionary.
On 25 January 2010, she stated that the LegCo resignations were a form of abuse, apparently overlooking the fact that such resignations are common in many parliamentary democracies. She also stated that amending the relevant legislation to prevent those who resigned from running in by-elections would put Hong Kong in line with practice in Britain. However, as the 2008 resignation and subsequent re-election of the former Chairman of the Conservative Party
, David Davis (British politician)
, shows, quasi-referendums are perfectly legal in Britain.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
with family roots in Zhaoqing
Zhaoqing
Zhaoqing is a prefecture-level city of Guangdong province in southern China.-Geography:Zhaoqing is located 110 km northwest of Guangzhou, in the west Pearl River Delta. It lies on the north shores of the Xijiang River, which is flows from west to east, and opposite of Gaoyao...
, Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
) is a Legislative Councillor
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
The Legislative Council is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong.-History:The Legislative Council of Hong Kong was set up in 1843 as a colonial legislature under British rule...
, representing the Kowloon West constituency. She is also a member of Kowloon City District
Kowloon City District
Kowloon City District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It is located in Kowloon. It had a population of 381,352 in 2001. The district has the third most educated residents while its residents enjoy the highest income in Kowloon....
Council. She is a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and an associate professor at City University of Hong Kong
City University of Hong Kong
City University of Hong Kong is a comprehensive research university in Hong Kong. It was founded in 1984 as City Polytechnic of Hong Kong and became a fully accredited university in 1994. It has achieved fast growth in recent years and received international recognition for its academic achievements...
's School of Law where her husband is the Dean.
LegCo election campaign
She was supported by the Liaison Office of the Central People's GovernmentLiaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is an organ of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China.-Description:...
and the pro-Beijing
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
Federation of Trade Unions in her bid for a Legco seat. She insists on being an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
and not a Beijing loyalist.
During her LegCo election campaign, she staged a publicity stunt of catching rats in Yau Tsim Mong District
Yau Tsim Mong District
Yau Tsim Mong District is one of 18 districts of Hong Kong, located on western Kowloon peninsula. It is the core urban area of Kowloon. The district has the third highest population density of all districts...
, earning her the nickname "Queen of Rats" .
Controversies
On 13 January 2010 she walked out from the LegCo chamber after fellow legislator Albert ChanAlbert Chan
The Honourable Albert Wai-yip Chan , born 3 March 1955 in Hong Kong) is a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong representing the New Territories West constituency, except for the periods 1997-2000 and Jan-May 2011. Chan is also a member of the Tsuen Wan District Council...
had said "some people teach dog shit laws" ("教狗屎法律") in an apparent reference to Leung. Chan refused to withdraw his comment and LegCo president Tsang Yok-sing
Tsang Yok-sing
Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, GBS JP was the founding Chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong , the largest pro-Beijing political party in Hong Kong....
subsequently ruled that no LegCo rules had been violated.
On 21 January 2010, in a response to the quasi-referendum on universal suffrage which was triggered by the resignation of five pro-democratic members of LegCo, Leung announced she would introduce a private member's bill which would forbid legislators from resigning unless they became ill or were convicted of a crime. Ronny Tong
Ronny Tong
Ronny Tong Ka-wah QC, SC is a Senior Counsel and current member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong , representing the New Territories East constituency. He is also a member of the Civic Party Executive Committee....
criticized her move as a contravention of the Basic Law: he said such a bill would infringe the right to stand for elections protected under Article 26 and would be inconsistent with Article 74 which prohibits individual legislators from tabling bills that relate to the political structure. She also went on record stating that the resignations of the five legislators contravened the Basic Law of Hong Kong. However, in spite of her background as a teacher of constitutional law
Constitutional law
Constitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
, she failed to substantiate her claim. Her move has been regarded as both opportunistic and reactionary.
On 25 January 2010, she stated that the LegCo resignations were a form of abuse, apparently overlooking the fact that such resignations are common in many parliamentary democracies. She also stated that amending the relevant legislation to prevent those who resigned from running in by-elections would put Hong Kong in line with practice in Britain. However, as the 2008 resignation and subsequent re-election of the former Chairman of the Conservative Party
Chairman of the Conservative Party
In the United Kingdom, the Chairman of the Conservative Party is responsible for running the party machine, overseeing Conservative Central Office. When the Conservatives are in power, the Chairman is usually a member of the Cabinet being given a sinecure position such as Minister without Portfolio...
, David Davis (British politician)
David Davis (British politician)
David Michael Davis is a British Conservative Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Haltemprice and Howden...
, shows, quasi-referendums are perfectly legal in Britain.
Academic history
- BABachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
Social SciencesSocial sciencesSocial science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
(PoliticsPoliticsPolitics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and Public AdministrationPublic administrationPublic Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
), Chinese University of Hong KongChinese University of Hong KongThe Chinese University of Hong Kong is a research-led university in Hong Kong.CUHK is the only tertiary education institution in Hong Kong with Nobel Prize winners on its faculty, including Chen Ning Yang, James Mirrlees, Robert Alexander Mundell and Charles K. Kao... - Common Professional ExaminationCommon Professional ExaminationThe Common Professional Examination is a postgraduate law course in England and Wales that is taken by non-law graduates wishing to become either a solicitor or barrister in England and Wales...
, HKU SPACE & Manchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the... - Postgraduate Certificate in LawsPostgraduate Certificate in LawsPCLL redirects here. For the lacrosse league in the northeastern United States, see Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League.The Postgraduate Certificate in Laws is an intensive one-year full-time professional legal qualification programme in Hong Kong...
, University of Hong Kong - LLMMaster of LawsThe Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
, Renmin University of ChinaRenmin University of ChinaRenmin University of China; RUC, also known as People's University of China , colloquially Renda , is a major research university in Haidian District, Beijing, China. Its campus neighbors those of Peking University and Tsinghua University.... - Doctor of Juridical ScienceDoctor of Juridical ScienceDoctor of Juridical Science, Doctor of the Science of Law, Scientiae Juridicae Doctor , abbreviated J.S.D. or S.J.D., is a research doctorate in law and equivalent to the PhD It is offered primarily in the United States, where it originated, and in Canada...
, Renmin University of ChinaRenmin University of ChinaRenmin University of China; RUC, also known as People's University of China , colloquially Renda , is a major research university in Haidian District, Beijing, China. Its campus neighbors those of Peking University and Tsinghua University....