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.

Hong Kong order of precedence

Chief Executive (Donald Tsang, GBM, KBE, JP)
Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal (Andrew Li, GBM, CBE)
Chief Secretary for Administration (Henry Tang, GBS, JP)
Financial Secretary (John Tsang, JP)
Secretary for Justice (Wong Yan Lung, SC, JP)
President of the Legislative Council and Members of the Executive Council:
1. President of the Legislative Council (Jasper Tsang, GBS, JP)
2. Convenor of the Executive Council (Leung Chun Ying, GBS, JP)
3. Other members of the Executive Council:
  1. Secretary of Education (Michael Suen, GBS, CBE, JP)
  2. Cheng Yiu-tong, SBS, JP
  3. Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs (Stephen Lam, JP)
  4. Secretary for Security (Ambrose Lee, IDSM, JP)
  5. Secretary for Food and Health (York Chow, SBS, JP)
  6. Laura Cha, SBS, JP
  7. Charles Lee, GBS, JP
  8. Ronald Arculli, GBS, CVO, OBE, JP
  9. Leong Che Hung, GBS, JP
  10. Marvin Cheung, SBS, JP
  11. Anthony Cheung, BBS, JP
  12. Secretary for the Civil Service (Denise Yue, GBS, JP)
  13. Secretary for Home Affairs (Tsang Tak-sing, JP)
  14. Secretary for Labour and Welfare (Matthew Cheung, JP)
  15. Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Chan Ka Keung, SBS, JP)
  16. Secretary for Development (Carrie Lam, JP)
  17. Secretary for the Environment (Edward Yau, JP)
  18. Secretary for Transport and Housing (Eva Cheng, JP)
  19. Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Rita Lau, JP)
  20. Lau Kong Wah^a, JP
  21. Lau Wong-fat^a ^d, GBS, JP
  22. Lawrence Lau, JP
  23. Anna Wu, SBS, JP
  24. Marjorie Yang, JP
  25. V-nee Yeh, JP
Other principal officials:
1. Commissioner of Police (Tang King Shing, PMSM, PDSM)
2. Commissioner, Independent Commission Against Corruption (Timothy Tong, JP)
3. Director of Audit (Benjamin Tang, JP)
4. Director of Immigration (Simon Peh, IDSM)
5. Commissioner of Customs and Excise (Richard Yuen, JP)
Other members of the Court of Final Appeal and Chief Judge of the High Court:
1. Permanent Judges of the Court of Final Appeal:
2. Non-Permanent Judges of the Court of Final Appeal:
  1. Gerald Nazareth, GBS
  2. John B. Mortimer, GBS
  3. Henry Litton, GBM, JP
  4. Anthony Mason
  5. Lord Hoffmann
  6. Gerard Brennan
  7. Lord Millett
  8. Lord Woolf of Barnes
  9. Lord Scott of Foscote
  10. Michael McHugh
  11. Thomas Gault
  12. Murray Gleeson, AC
  13. Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe
  14. Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury
3. Chief Judge of the High Court (Geoffrey Ma)
Other members of the Legislative Council
1. Albert Ho
2. Raymond Ho, SBS, JP
3. Lee Cheuk-yan
4. David Li, GBM, GBS, JP
5. Fred Li, SBS, JP
6. Margaret Ng
7. James To
8. Cheung Man Kwong
9. Chan Kam-lam, SBS, JP
10. Sophie Leung, GBS, JP
11. Leung Yiu-chung
12. Philip Wong, GBS
13. Wong Yung-kan, SBS, JP
14. Miriam Lau, GBS, JP
15. Emily Lau, JP
16. Andrew Cheng
17. Timothy Fok, GBS, JP
18. Tam Yiu-chung, GBS, JP
19. Abraham Razack, SBS, JP
20. Li Fung Ying, BBS, JP
21. Tommy Cheung, SBS, JP
22. Frederick Fung, SBS, JP
23. Audrey Eu, SC, JP
24. Vincent Fang, SBS, JP
25. Wong Kwok-hing
26. Lee Wing-tat
27. Joseph Lee, SBS, JP
28. Jeffrey Lam, SBS, JP
29. Andrew Leung, SBS, JP
30. Cheung Hok Ming^b, GBS, JP
31. Wong Ting-kwong, BBS, JP
32. Ronny Tong, SC
33. Chim Pui Chung
34. Patrick Lau, SBS, JP
35. Kam Nai-wai, MH
36. Cyd Ho
37. Starry Lee
38. Lam Tai-fai, BBS, JP
39. Gary Chan
40. Paul Chan, MH, JP
41. Chan Kin-por, JP
42. Priscilla Leung
43. Leung Ka-lau
44. Cheung Kwok Che
45. Wong Sing-chi
46. Wong Kwok-kin, BBS
47. Ip Wai Ming, MH
48. Ip Kwok-him, GBS, JP
49. Regina Ip, GBS, JP
50. Pan Pey-chyou
51. Paul Tse
52. Samson Tam, JP
Consuls-General (Foreign country diplomats to Hong Kong)
Religious leaders:
1. Archbishop of Hong Kong (Paul Kwong)
2. President of the Hong Kong Buddhist Association (Sik Kok Kwong, GBS)
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 (Tuet Che-yin, BBS)
6. Chairman of the Hong Kong Christian Council (Nicholas Tai, JP)
7. Chairman of the Hong Kong Taoist Association (Tong Wai-ki, BBS, MH)
Recipients of the Grand Bauhinia Medal:
1. Lee Quo-wei, GBM, JP
2. Simon Li, GBM
3. Elsie Tu, GBM
4. Tsang Hin-chi, GBM
5. Chung Sze-yuen, GBM, JP
6. Arnaldo de Oliveira Sales, GBM, JP
7. Ng Hong-mun, GBM
8. Run Run Shaw, GBM
9. Wong Po-yan, GBM, JP
10. Anson Chan, GBM, JP
11. Yang Ti-liang, GBM, JP
12. William Purves, GBM
13. Mo Kwan-nin, GBM
14. Louis Cha, GBM
15. Jao Tsung-I, GBM
16. Li Ka-shing, GBM, JP
17. Yeung Kwong, GBM
18. Elsie Leung, GBM, JP
19. David Akers-Jones, GBM, JP
20. Chiang Chen, GBM
21. Tung Chee Hwa, GBM
22. Rita Fan, GBM, GBS, JP
23. Rafael Hui, GBM, GBS, JP
24. Lee Shau-kee, GBM
25. Henry Hu, GBM, GBS, JP
26. Cheng Yu-tung, GBM
27. Chan Sui-kau, GBM, GBS, JP
28. Hari Harilela, GBM, GBS, JP
29. Joseph Yam, GBM, GBS, JP
30. Stanley Ho, GBM, GBS
31. Victor Fung, GBM, GBS
32. Tin Ka-ping, GBM
33. Charles K. Kao, GBM
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 (Albert S. Chan)
3. President of the Lingnan University (Chan Yuk-shee, BBS, JP)
4. Vice-Chancellor/President of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Joseph Sung, SBS)
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)
7. Vice-Chancellor and President the University of Hong Kong (Tsui Lap-chee, JP)
8. President of the Open University of Hong Kong (John Leong, SBS, JP)
9. President of the Hong Kong Shue Yan University (Henry Hu^d)
Other members of the High Court:
1. Justices of Appeal of the Court of Appeal
  1. Anthony Rogers, JP
  2. Woo Kwok-hing, GBS
  3. Robert Tang, SBS, JP
  4. Frank Stock, JP
  5. Alain Le Pichon
  6. Peter Cheung
  7. Yeung Chun-kuen
  8. Maria Yuen
  9. Michael Hartmann
  10. Susan Kwan
2. Judges of the Court of First Instance
Public commissioners:
1. Chairman of the Public Service Commission (Nicholas Ng, GBS, JP)
2. The Ombudsman (Alan Lai, GBS, JP)
Consuls-in-Charge/Honorary Consuls (Foreign country diplomats to Hong Kong)
Permanent Secretaries, Officials of Directorate Grade 6 Rank and above
1. Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (Norman Chan, SBS, JP)
2. Director of the Chief Executive’s Office (Raymond Tam, JP)
3. Head of the Central Policy Unit (Lau Siu Kai, JP)
4. Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs (Raymond Young, JP)
5. Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Sandra Lee, JP)
6. Permanent Secretary for Transport and Housing (Francis Ho, JP)
7. Judiciary Administrator (Emma Lau, JP)
8. Permanent Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs (Joshua Law, JP)
9. Permanent Secretary for Education (Raymond Wong, JP)
10. Permanent Secretary for the Civil Service (Andrew Wong, JP)
11. Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Stanley Ying, JP)
12. Permanent Secretary for Transport and Housing / Director of Housing (Chan Chun-yuen, JP)
13. Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Yvonne Choi, JP)
14. Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare (Paul Tang, JP)
15. Permanent Secretary for Development (Mak Chai-kwong, JP)
16. Permanent Secretary for Security (Chang King-yiu, JP)
17. Permanent Secretary for the Environment / Director of Environmental Protection (Anissa Wong, JP)
18. Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Stella Hung, JP)
19. Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Duncan Pescod, JP)
20. Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Au King-chi, JP)
21. Permanent Secretary for Development (Thomas Chow, JP)
22. Solicitor General (Ian Wingfield, GBS, JP)
23. Director of Public Prosecutions (Grenville Cross, SC, JP)
24. Director of Home Affairs (Pamela Tan, JP)
25. Commissioner of Inland Revenue (Alice Lau Mak Yee-ming, JP)
26. Director of Health (Lam Ping-yan, JP)
27. Director-General of Civil Aviation (Norman Lo, JP)
28. Law Officer (Civil Law) (Benedict Lai, JP)
29. Director of Legal Aid (Benjamin Cheung, JP)
30. Director of Civil Engineering and Development (Chai Sung-veng, JP)
31. Director of Marine (Roger Tupper, JP)
32. Commissioner of Correctional Services(Kwok Leung-ming, CSDSM)
33. Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation (Alan Wong Chi-kong, JP)
34. Director of Highways (Wai Chi-sing, JP)
35. Law Draftsman (Eamonn Moran, JP)
36. Government Chief Information Officer (Jeremy Godfrey)
37. Law Officer (International Law) (Amelia Luk, JP)
38. Director-General of Telecommunications (Marion Lai, JP)
39. Director of Lands (Annie Tam, JP)
40. Commissioner for Labour (Cherry Tse, JP)
41. Permanent Secretary of the Chief Executive’s Office (Elizabeth Tse, JP)
42. Commissioner for Tourism (Margaret Fong, JP)
43. Director of Fire Services (Gregory Lo, FSDSM)
44. Director of Water Supplies (Ma Lee-tak, JP)
45. Permanent Representative to Geneva Office (Martin Glass, JP)
46. Director of Administration (Jennifer Mak, JP)
47. Commissioner for Transport (Joseph Lai)
48. Director of Administration and Development in Department of Justice (Susie Ho, JP)
49. Director-General of Investment Promotion (Simon Galpin)
50. Director of Leisure and Cultural Services (Betty Fung, JP)
51. Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene (Warner Cheuk, JP)
52. Director of the Beijing Office (Thomas Tso, JP)
53. Director of Social Welfare (Patrick Nip, JP)
54. Director-General of Trade and Industry (Maria Kwan, JP)
55. Director of Information Services (Michael Wong Wai-lun, JP)
56. Commissioner for Innovation and Technology (Janet Wong, JP)
Judges of the District Court:
1. Chief Judge of the District Court (Li Hon-leung)
2. Principal Family Court Judge (Bebe Chu)
3. Other District Judges
District Council Chairmen
Recipients of the Gold Bauhinia Star
1. Joseph Wong, GBS, JP
2. Peter Woo, GBS, JP
3. ...
Justices of the Peace
Members of District Councils
1. District Council Vice Chairmen
2. Other District Council Members

Notes

a.^ Also a member of the Legislative Council

b.^ Also a District Council Chairman.

c.^ Lawrence Lau appeared in an earlier precedence as a member of the Executive Council.

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

References

^ Precedence list

External links

Protocol Division Government Secretariat

[1] Precedence list

[1]