Hong Kong's Opening of the Legal Year ceremony is a Western colonial tradition held each January, drawing international representatives. This month, the Bar has sent delegates to similar events in Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong itself. The ceremony features the Chief Justice inspecting a guard mounted by the Hong Kong Police Force, followed by speeches from legal leaders.
Each January marks the start of the legal year in Hong Kong with a distinctly Western ceremonial event. Despite Hong Kong's return to China, this colonial tradition is maintained and proudly displayed to the world.
This month alone, the Bar has sent representatives to Opening of the Legal Year ceremonies in Singapore, Malaysia (including KL), and Hong Kong. Similar ceremonies are traditions in other common law jurisdictions such as England and Wales and Ireland, as well as civil law ones like France. Each has its own flavour, but all feature judges and lawyers in full ceremonial attire, with representatives from other jurisdictions invited to attend and bear witness.
The Hong Kong version includes an inspection by the Chief Justice of a ceremonial guard mounted by the Hong Kong Police Force. This is followed by speeches from the Chief Justice, the Secretary for Justice, the chairman of the Bar, and the president of the Law Society, with all judges, judicial officers, and senior counsel in full attire seated behind them, in front of guests from around the world.
It originated in colonial times and closely follows the style of that in England and Wales, which in its current form dates back to the late 1800s.
