The Hon. Madam Justice Anthea Pang, Justice of Appeal

The CPE programme was a very, if not the most, important bridge in my pursuit of the legal career without which I would still be engaging in non- legal work.

Message to HKU SPACE/MMU Graduation Ceremony on 5 December 2021

"I would like to convey my warmest congratulations both to you and the others who run this successful CPE programme and to all the graduates. No doubt all of them must have worked very hard to be able to get on the stage of the Graduation Ceremony but there is also no doubt that there will be more challenges ahead in their legal career. However, with stamina and diligence, I am sure that they will all turn out to be successful practitioners with much to contribute to our legal profession in due course.

The CPE programme was a very, if not the most, important bridge in my pursuit of the legal career without which I would still be engaging in non- legal work. I am therefore truly happy for the graduates and would like to meet them in person. However, I regret to say that owing to my other commitments, I would not be able to attend the Graduation Ceremony on 5 December 2021. Nonetheless, this bond through the CPE programme is always there and I wish all the graduates a long, successful, and satisfying legal career."

Message to HKU SPACE/MMU Graduation Ceremony on 5 November 2023

I was once told that when Lord Denning was in HK in the 1980s, he delivered a speech in which he said the following: “I enjoy drinking with a group of nice people; I enjoy eating with a group of nice people; and I enjoy sleeping with a contented mind.” I was not present on that occasion and I should not say anything more in order not to offend the hearsay rule. But perhaps, it’s clear to all of us that for a legal professional, and indeed for anyone, sleeping with a contented mind after a day’s work is a most rewarding gift.  

Being graduates of the CPE course, you must have had worked really hard in the past 2 years or so. However, I’m sorry to say that the challenge is not yet over for there are many more challenges to come. For example, you would soon notice from your PCLL course that acquisition of legal knowledge is not the end but just the beginning of your legal training for, after all, lawyers are there to help addressing clients’ legal concerns in a real life situation while observing their duty to the Court.  

No two cases are identical. Even if the legal problems which you have to tackle look similar, the factual matrices, the clients and the interplay between the parties will not be the same. So, attention to details is a must. The function key “copy and paste” may not have much use.  

 Earlier on, I mentioned lawyers’ duty to the Court. At present, you may not have had much or any experience in court hearings. But it would not be difficult to understand that judges do require parties’ assistance from time to time, especially in case management. So, in the execution of your legal work, the focus should not only be on the lay clients but also on how best to assist the Court whenever necessary. The function key “help” should therefore always be on the alert mode insofar as the Court is concerned. When drafting legal documents, we always use the function key “erase” but you would agree that this action may not help much in getting us a contented mind when sleeping.  How you would be able to sleep with a contented mind after a day in court or after engaging in a broad range of legal work is perhaps best to be worked out by yourself but I would suggest that the general rule is not to be too hard on yourself. That of course does not mean slackness or inattention at work but rather, we have to accept the fact that we all make mistakes. When that happens, lying in bed with your stomach churning simply would not help. Learning from the mistakes and making sure that we do not repeat the same error twice may be the key.  

It’s now time for me to strike the function key “end” for if I carry on talking, I’m sure your cameras would start shouting. Today is a happy and proud occasion for all of you but as I said, there will be challenges ahead and there will be moments when you feel tired or even frustrated. But remember today, remember your graduation ceremony, and remember the path which took you here as well as the faces of your family members and loved ones. That should give you enough strength to go on at difficult times. I do wish that you would join the legal profession in the time to come but even if you have other plans, I’m sure that the CPE course which you have attended and the legal training which you have received will be of benefit in whatever you are going to pursue for logical thinking and an analytical mind should be welcomed everywhere.  

Last which should actually be the first, please accept my apology for not being able to be with you today. I wish you all the very best.   

 Hon Madam Justice Anthea Pang Po-kam  
(Graduate of the CPE programme)