Hierarchy of positions within the Government of Hong Kong
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 theoretically 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.[2]
Hong Kong order of precedence until 1997
Office holders on 1 June 1997 in brackets:[4][5]
- Governor (Chris Patten)
- Chief Justice (Noel Power (Acting))
- Chief Secretary (Anson Chan, CBE, JP)
- Commander British Forces in Hong Kong, if of the rank of major general (Major-General Bryan Dutton, CBE)
- Heads of Churches
- Bishop of Hong Kong (Bishop Peter Kwong)
- Roman Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong (Cardinal John Wu)
- Financial Secretary (Donald Tsang, OBE, JP)
- Attorney General (Jeremy Fell Mathews, CMG, JP)
- President of the Legislative Council (Andrew Wong, OBE, JP)
- Members of the Executive Council
- Other members of the Legislative Council
- Diplomatic Officers
- Commonwealth Commissioners and Consuls-General de Carriere
- Acting Commonwealth Commissioners and Acting Consuls-General de Carriere
- Honorary Consuls-General
- Senior British Trade Commissioner (Francis Cornish, CMG, LVO)
- Heads of Universities
- President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Woo Chia-wei, CBE)
- President and Vice-Chancellor of the Hong Kong Baptist University (Daniel Tse, CBE, JP)
- President of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Poon Chung-kwong, OBE, JP)
- Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong (Patrick Cheng, CBE, JP)
- President of the City University of Hong Kong (Chang Hsin-kang)
- Vice-Chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Arthur Li)
- Judges of the Supreme Court
- Justices of Appeal
- Judges of the High Court
- Knights
- Heads of Public service units
- Commissioner of police (Eddie Hui, QPM, CPM)
- Chairman of the Public Service Commission (Haider Hatim Tyebjee Barma, CBE, ISO, JP)
- The Ombudsman (Andrew So, OBE, JP)
- Commissioner, Independent Commission Against Corruption (Lily Yam, JP)
- Chairman of the Urban Council (Ronald Leung, OBE, JP)
- Chairman of the Regional Council (Daniel Lam, JP)
- Consuls de Carriere who are Heads of Post
- Honorary Consuls who are Heads of Post
- Other Secretaries and Heads of Group I Departments
- Chief of Staff and Senior Naval Officer (Commodore Peter John Melson, CBE)
- Hong Kong Commissioner in London (Sir David Robert Ford, KBE, LVO, JP)
- Other Members of the Urban and Regional Councils
- Administrative Officer Staff Grade "A" and Heads of Departments of similar status
- District Judges
- District Board Chairmen
- Companions, Commanders, Officers and Members of Orders of Chivalry
- Justices of the Peace