Sir Oswald Victor Cheung (; 22 January 1922 – 10 December 2003) was a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

in Hong Kong, known as the "doyen of the bar". "Ossie" was the first ethnic Chinese to become a

Queen's Counsel A King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their Viceroy, viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarc ...

colonial Hong Kong Hong Kong was under British rule from 1841 to 1997, except for a brief period of Japanese occupation during World War II from 1941 to 1945. It was a crown colony of the United Kingdom from 1841 to 1981, and a dependent territory from 1981 to ...

, and the first Chinese chairman of the

Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) was founded in 1884 and is one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong. In 1960, it was granted a royal charter and renamed The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club (). The institution reverted to its original name in 19 ...

. Cheung was a mentor to a number of eminent lawyers, including

Audrey Eu Audrey Eu Yuet-mee is a Hong Kong lawyer and politician who represented Hong Kong Island in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong from 2000 to 2012. Eu was the founding leader of the Civic Party and was a member of the party's executive commit ...

and

Margaret Ng Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee (; born 25 January 1948) is a politician, barrister, writer and columnist in Hong Kong. She was a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong from 1995 to 2012. Biography Before entering the legal profession, Margaret ...

Biography

Born in Hong Kong in 1922, Cheung was brought up in the territory, and was educated at the

Diocesan Boys' School The Diocesan Boys' School (DBS) is a day and boarding Anglican boys' school in Hong Kong, located at 131 Argyle Street, Hong Kong, Argyle Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon. The school's mission is "to provide a liberal education based on Christianity ...

, where he graduated in 1938. Not quite 16 years old at the time, he entered university. From 1938 to 1941, he read natural sciences at the

University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is a public research university in Pokfulam, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese by the London Missionary Society and formally established as the University of ...

, and received a degree in

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

and

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

upon his graduation. During the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...

, his family moved first to Macao, and then to China.104th Congregation (1979) – The Hon Oswald Victor CHEUNG, Doctor of Laws
University of Hong Kong, 1979 He joined the

British Army Aid Group The British Army Aid Group (B.A.A.G.) was a paramilitary organisation for British and Allied forces in southern China during the Second World War. The B.A.A.G. was officially classified in the British Army's order of battle as an MI9 unit th ...

and aided the

British intelligence The Government of the United Kingdom maintains several intelligence agencies that deal with secret intelligence. These agencies are responsible for collecting, analysing and exploiting foreign and domestic intelligence, providing military intell ...

effort over the Japanese. He moved to Calcutta in 1945, and in 1947, after the war ended, he received a scholarship to study a Master's in Law at

University College, Oxford University College, formally The Master and Fellows of the College of the Great Hall of the University commonly called University College in the University of Oxford and colloquially referred to as "Univ", is a Colleges of the University of Oxf ...

. Upon graduation, he was admitted to

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

. Cheung was called to the Bar of England by the Inn in 1951. He was appointed

in 1965 and in the same year he set up

Sir Oswald Cheung's Chambers Sir Oswald Victor Cheung (; 22 January 1922 – 10 December 2003) was a barrister in Hong Kong, known as the "doyen of the bar". "Ossie" was the first ethnic Chinese to become a Queen's Counsel in colonial Hong Kong, and the first Chinese ch ...

.Sir Oswald Cheung's Chambers
/ref> He served as the Honorary Secretary of the

Hong Kong Bar Association The Hong Kong Bar Association (HKBA) is the professional regulatory body for barristers in Hong Kong. The Law Society of Hong Kong is the equivalent association for solicitors in Hong Kong. Jose-Antonio Maurellet is the current chairman of t ...

in 1952 and rose to become chairman in 1966, gaining life membership of the association in 1996. Cheung also had a long record of public service during the post-war years. He served on numerous government boards and committees. Professionally, he was member of the Supreme Court Rules Committee (1960-1970), chairman of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and the Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Board. Non-government roles included member of the Hong Kong Policy Committee on the Christian Children's Fund (1960-1964). He was active on behalf of the Children's Meals Society, the Police Children's Education Trust, the Po Leung Kuk and the Sir David Trench Recreation Fund Investment Advisory Committee. For the government, he became a member of the Traffic Advisory Committee, the Economic Review Committee and the Fifth Marketing Advisory Board, the Fisheries Development Loan Fund Advisory Committee and director and panel member of the review board of the Inland Revenue. Cheung also served as a member of the Universities & Polytechnic Grants Committee. He was a member of the Legislative Council from 1970 to 1981 and the Executive Council from 1974 to 1986. He was bestowed with an OBE in 1972, and

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

in 1987.

Personal

An avid

cigar A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and Fermentation, fermented tobacco leaves made to be Tobacco smoking, smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct comp ...

aficionado, Cheung received burns when his silk pyjamas caught fire as he attempted to light a cigar. He died of complications on 10 December 2003.

Public service record

* Captain in the

Royal Hong Kong Regiment The Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) (RHKR(V)) (), formed in May 1854, was a local auxiliary militia force funded and administered by the colonial Government of Hong Kong. Its powers and duties were mandated by the Royal Hong Kong R ...

(1956-1962) * Chairman,

1966; * Member of the

Legislative Council A legislative council is the legislature, or one of the legislative chambers, of a nation, colony, or subnational division such as a province or state. It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the Brit ...

from 1970 to 1981 where and he was the

Senior Chinese Unofficial Member Senior Chinese Unofficial Member denotes the highest-ranking Han Chinese, ethnically Chinese member of the Legislative Council and Executive Council of Hong Kong, Executive Council of Hong Kong under British Hong Kong, colonial British rule. A ...

from 1978 to 1981; * Member of the Executive Council from 1974 to 1986 * Lincoln's Inn

bencher A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher c ...

: 1987–2003

Honours

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised Order of chivalry, orders of chivalry; it is a part of the Orders, decorations, and medals ...

: 1987

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheung, Oswald Victor Hong Kong Senior Counsel Alumni of the University of Hong Kong Alumni of University College, Oxford Members of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong Members of the Executive Council of Hong Kong Commanders of the Order of the British Empire 20th-century King's Counsel Knights Bachelor 1922 births 2003 deaths Barristers of Hong Kong Hong Kong Civic Association politicians Deaths from fire Accidental deaths in Hong Kong Hong Kong Queen's Counsel People educated at Diocesan Boys' School