Eric Cheung
Principal Lecturer
Director of Clinical Legal Education;
Solicitor Advocate
Biography
Eric Tat Ming CHEUNG (張達明) was born and educated in Hong Kong. Upon his admission as a solicitor of the High Court of Hong Kong in October 1989, he worked as a litigation solicitor at Johnson Stokes & Master (now known as Mayer Brown). He was admitted as a partner of the same firm in October 1994. He has been teaching law at the Faculty of Law, University of Hong Kong since December 1996. He is also a part-time consultant of ONC Lawyers.
He is currently the Director of Clinical Legal Education in the Faculty and has been in charge of the Clinical Legal Education Course since its introduction in January 2010. Apart from his services through a great number of public and professional bodies, he has contributed significantly to the promotion of the Rule of Law and legal education to the public. He is frequently invited to speak on legal issues by television and radio programmes as well as in newspapers as a recognised legal scholar on the Basic Law and Rule of Law issues.
Eric was granted the Higher Rights of Audience as a Solicitor Advocate in criminal cases in 2014. He has since appeared successfully in a number of criminal appeal cases before the Court of Appeal and the Court of Final Appeal either on a pro bono basis or on legal aid assignment.
Public Services
Research Profile
Chairman, Appeal Panel (Housing) (2013 to 2019)
Member, Independent Police Complaints Council (2009 to 2014)
Member, The Council of the Law Society of Hong Kong (2018 to 2021)
Member, Election Committee for the Election of the Chief Executive (2006-2007; 2007-2012; and 2012-2017)
Member, Hong Kong Law Reform Commission’s Sub-committee on Review of Sexual Offences (2006 to 2022)
Examiner, Bar Qualification Examination (Civil Procedure and Civil Evidence) (2004 to present)
Member, Law Society’s Pro Bono Committee (2010 to present)
Honorary Secretary, Executive Committee of The Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society (2012 to present)
Chairman, Buildings Appeal Tribunal (2000 to 2006)
Member, Judicial Studies Board (2003 to 2012)
Member, Hong Kong Law Reform Commission (1994 to 2000)
Member, Law Society’s Constitutional Affairs Committee (1999 to 2012)
Member, Law Society’s Bilingualism Committee (1997 to 2006)
Member, Law Society’s Overseas Lawyers Qualification Examination Panel (1998 to 2007)
Member, Law Society’s Continuing Professional Development Committee (1999 to 2006)
Member, Law Society’s Working Party on the Development of a Proposal for a Specialist Accreditation Scheme (1999 to 2001)
Eric Tat-ming Cheung was qualified as a solicitor in Hong Kong in 1989 and became a litigation partner of Johnson Stokes & Master (now known as Mayer Brown) in 1994. When he was in full practice, his main areas of work included building and town planning appeals, judicial reviews, professional negligence claims, building and construction litigation, and general banking and commercial litigation.
Mr. Cheung is the co-author of A Guide to Civil Procedure in Hong Kong, (Lexis-Nexis Butterworths). His other publications include: Interlocutory or Final Orders: Pouring New Wine into Old Wineskins (Hong Kong Law Journal, Vol 36 Part 1 2006), The Modern Application of the Medieval Law of Maintenance and Champerty (Law Lectures for Practitioner 2005, Sweet & Maxwell Asia), The Prospect of Legal Bilingalism in Hong Kong) (香港法律雙語化前景初探) published in (Legal Translation in Practice, Law Press, China, 2003) (法律翻譯：從實踐出發) and Settlement Without Tears: Practical Advice for Negotiating Settlements of Civil Claims (Law Lectures for Practitioners 2001, Sweet & Maxwell Asia). He has also written various Chinese articles on the Basic Law and Rule of Law issues in the Mingpao Forum.
His current research includes Civil Procedure, Clinical Legal Education, the laws of Maintenance and Champerty, and Basic Law and Rule of Law issues.
Mr. Cheung has served in various public and professional bodies and has contributed significantly to the promotion of the Rule of Law and legal education to the public. He is frequently invited to speak on legal issues by television and radio programmes as well as in newspapers as a legal scholar. He has represented various defendants on a pro bono basis or on legal aid assignment in a number of criminal cases before the Court of Appeal and the Court of Final Appeal as a solicitor advocate.