{{Short description|Hong Kong solicitor and politician}} {{family name hatnote|[[Zhang (surname)|Cheung]]|Horace Cheung|Cheung Kwok-kwan|lang=Hong Kong}} {{Use British English|date=June 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = [[The Honourable]] | name = Horace Cheung | native_name = {{nobold|張國鈞}} | native_name_lang = zh-hk | honorific_suffix = [[Justice of Peace|JP]] | image = Horace Cheung 2023 (cropped).jpg | image_size = | caption = Cheung in 2023 | office = [[Secretary for Justice|Deputy Secretary for Justice]] | term_start = 1 July 2022 | term_end = | succeeding = | predecessor = ''Position established'' | successor = | office1 = Non-Official Member of the [[Executive Council of Hong Kong|Executive Council]] | term_start1 = 1 July 2017 | term_end1 = 30 June 2022 | predecessor1 = | successor1 = | appointer1 = [[Carrie Lam]] | office2 = Vice-Chairman of the [[Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong]] | term_start2 = 24 April 2011 | term_end2 = 18 June 2022 | predecessor2 = [[Carson Wen]] | successor2 = | 1blankname2 = Chairman | 1namedata2 = [[Tam Yiu-chung]]<br />[[Starry Lee]] | office3 = Member of the [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council]] | term_start3 = 1 January 2022 | term_end3 = 18 June 2022 | constituency3 = [[Election Committee (constituency)|Election Committee]] | predecessor3 = ''New constituency'' | successor3 = [[Chan Wing-kwong]] | term_start4 = 1 October 2016 | term_end4 = 31 December 2021 | predecessor4 = [[Christopher Chung (politician)|Christopher Chung]] | successor4 = ''Constituency abolished'' | constituency4 = [[Hong Kong Island (constituency)|Hong Kong Island]] | office5 = Member of the [[Central and Western District Council]] | constituency5 = [[Sai Wan (constituency)|Sai Wan]] | term_start5 = 1 January 2012 | term_end5 = 31 December 2019 | predecessor5 = Chan Tak-chor | successor5 = [[Pang Ka-ho]] | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|6|30|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[British Hong Kong|Hong Kong]] | death_date = | death_place = | party = [[Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong]] (DAB) {{small|(until 2022)}} | spouse = | alma_mater = [[City University of Hong Kong]] | occupation = Solicitor<br />Politician }} {{Infobox Chinese | order = ts | showflag = | t = 張國鈞 | s = 张国钧 | j = Zoeng<sup>1</sup> Gwok<sup>3</sup> kwan<sup>1</sup> | y = Jēung Gwok kwān | p = Zhāng Guójūn }} '''Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan''', [[Justice of Peace|JP]] ({{lang-zh|張國鈞}}, born 30 June 1974<ref name="dab" />) is a Hong Kong solicitor and politician and the former vice-chairman of the [[Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong]] (DAB), the largest [[pro-Beijing camp|pro-Beijing]] party in Hong Kong. He was elected to [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong]] in 2016 through the [[Hong Kong Island (constituency)|Hong Kong Island]] constituency, and re-elected in 2021 through the [[Election Committee (constituency)|Election Committee]] constituency. He is the current Deputy Secretary for Justice.
==Career== Cheung graduated from the [[City University of Hong Kong]] with a bachelor's degree in law and is a partner of Cheung & Yeung solicitors. He joined the DAB in 2000 and worked closely with the then party chairman [[Ma Lik]] as the vice-chairman of the [[Wan Chai]] branch, party of Ma's [[Hong Kong Island constituency]]. He took in charge of the party's 800-member youth wing when it was created in 2004. With his young age with professional background, Cheung is a high-flier in the party.<ref name="dab">{{cite news|title=THE DAB: Horace Cheung, Starry Lee|url=https://www.scmp.com/article/573861/dab-horace-cheung-starry-lee|date=2 December 2006|first=Denise|last=Hung|newspaper=South China Morning Post}}</ref> In 2011, he became the vice-chairman of the DAB.
He contested in the [[2003 Hong Kong local elections|2003 District Council elections]] in [[Stubbs Road (constituency)|Stubbs Road]] but was defeated. In the [[2004 Hong Kong legislative election|2004 Legislative Council elections]], he was placed in the DAB list behind Ma Lik and [[Choy So-yuk]] and was not elected. In [[2008 Hong Kong legislative election|2008 Legislative Council elections]], he was placed the fourth behind [[Tsang Yok-sing]], [[Choy So-yuk]] and [[Christopher Chung (politician)|Christopher Chung]] and did not get elected. In [[2011 Hong Kong local elections|2011 District Council elections]], he won a seat in [[Sai Wan (constituency)|Sai Wan constituency]] in the [[Central and Western District Council]] by 24 votes against a [[Democratic Party (Hong Kong)|Democratic Party]] candidate. He was elected to the [[Election Committee]] in the [[2011 Hong Kong Election Committee Subsector elections|Election Committee sub-sector elections]] through the Urban District Councils Sub-sector in 2011. He lost his seat in the [[2019 District Council elections in Hong Kong|2019 District Council elections]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elections.gov.hk/dc2019/eng/results_sha_tin.html|title=2019 District Councils Election – Election Results (Sha Tin)|publisher=Government of Hong Kong}}</ref>
He has been appointed to various public positions including membership on the Administrative Appeals Board, Buildings Appeal Tribunal Panel, [[Central Policy Unit]], Estate Agents Authority, Long Term housing Strategy Steering Committee, Standing Committee on Disciplined Services Salaries and Conditions of Service and Steering Committee on the regulation of the sale of first-hand residential properties by legislation. He is member of the Disciplinary and Investigate Panels of the [[Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants]] (HKICPA).
He was elected to [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong]] in 2016 through the [[Hong Kong Island (constituency)|Hong Kong Island]] constituency.
In April 2021, Cheung criticized the [[Hong Kong Bar Association]], and said that the group had commented too often on political issues.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pro-government figures say legal sector's self-regulatory rights should be revoked if professional groups turn political ｜ Apple Daily |url=https://hk.appledaily.com/news/20210408/I5TKQU4MQBAU7OPTOU2RCDY27Y/|access-date=8 April 2021|website=Apple Daily 蘋果日報|language=zh-hk |archive-date=8 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210408011550/https://hk.appledaily.com/news/20210408/I5TKQU4MQBAU7OPTOU2RCDY27Y/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
On 18 June 2022, he resigned from the Legislative Council and the DAB to become the Deputy Secretary for Justice.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Horace Cheung quits DAB before joining govt - RTHK |url=https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1654183-20220622.htm? |access-date=24 June 2022 |website=news.rthk.hk |language=en-gb}}</ref>
In December 2022, Cheung said that asking the [[Standing Committee of the National People's Congress|NPCSC]] to interpret Hong Kong's [[2020 Hong Kong national security law|national security law]] is the "healthiest way" for the legal system to develop, after the government appealed to Beijing to block [[Jimmy Lai]] from using UK lawyer [[Tim Owen (barrister)|Tim Owen]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 December 2022 |title=Hong Kong deputy minister backs request for national security law interpretation |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3202842/asking-beijing-national-security-law-interpretation-healthiest-way-legal-system-develop-senior-hong |access-date=10 December 2022 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}</ref>
In February 2023, after a trip to the Middle East, Cheung said that no government officials or business leaders asked him about the [[2020 Hong Kong national security law|national security law]], and said that those in the Middle East "are not easily swayed by inaccurate or incorrect information."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Peter |date=10 February 2023 |title=Middle East charm offensive 'fruitful' says Hong Kong's John Lee, as deputy justice sec. says no one asked about security law |url=https://hongkongfp.com/2023/02/11/middle-east-charm-offensive-fruitful-says-hong-kongs-john-lee-as-deputy-justice-sec-says-no-one-asked-about-security-law/ |access-date=12 February 2023 |website=Hong Kong Free Press HKFP |language=en-GB}}</ref>
== Personal life == Cheung is a solicitor and is married with two daughters, and he holds a master's degree in law from the City University of Hong Kong.<ref>{{cite news |author=許偉賢|title=八方人物：張國鈞嘆捉到企鵝唔識造勢|url=http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20100818/14356428|access-date=29 September 2014|newspaper=蘋果日報|date=18 August 2010|archive-date=17 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817082203/http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20100818/14356428}}</ref> As of 2018, he is a PhD student in Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ppaweb.hku.hk/dpa/Current_Students.html|title=Current Students－2017-2021 DPA Students |access-date=7 August 2018|language=en |publisher=Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong |archive-date=23 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823201217/https://www.ppaweb.hku.hk/dpa/Current_Students.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In September 2022, Cheung tested positive for COVID-19.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Standard |first=The |title=Deputy justice minister Horace Cheung catches Covid |url=https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/194221/Deputy-justice-minister-Horace-Cheung-catches-Covid |access-date=2 September 2022 |website=The Standard |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-new|creation }} {{s-ttl | title = Chairman of Young [[Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong]] | years = 2004–2009 }} {{s-aft | after = [[Holden Chow]] }} {{s-bef | before = [[Carson Wen]] }} {{s-ttl | title = Vice-Chairman of [[Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong]] | years = 2011–2022 }} {{s-aft | after = TBD }} {{s-off|hk }} {{S-bef | before = Chan Tak-chor }} {{s-ttl | title = Member of [[Central and Western District Council]] | district = [[Sai Wan (constituency)|Sai Wan]] | years = 2012–2019 }} {{s-aft | after = [[Pang Ka-ho]] }} {{s-par|hk}} {{s-bef | before = [[Christopher Chung (politician)|Christopher Chung]] }} {{s-ttl | title = Member of Legislative Council | district = [[Hong Kong Island (constituency)|Hong Kong Island]] | years = 2016–2021 }} {{s-non | reason = Constituency abolished }} {{s-new|constituency }} {{s-ttl | title = Member of Legislative Council | district = [[Election Committee (constituency)|Election Committee]] | years = 2022–2022 }} {{s-aft | after = [[Chan Wing-kwong]] }} {{S-prec}} {{S-bef | before = [[Michael Wong Wai-lun]]<br /><small>''Deputy Financial Secretary''</small> }} {{S-ttl | title = [[Hong Kong order of precedence]]<br /><small>''Deputy Secretary for Justice''</small> }} {{S-aft | after = [[Arthur Li]]<br /><small>''Member of the Executive Council''</small> }} {{s-end}}
{{HKExco}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheung, Horace}} [[Category:1974 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Hong Kong people of Hakka descent]] [[Category:People from Huiyang]] [[Category:Alumni of the City University of Hong Kong]] [[Category:District councillors of Central and Western District]] [[Category:Hong Kong solicitors]] [[Category:Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong politicians]] [[Category:Members of the Election Committee of Hong Kong, 2012–2017]] [[Category:Members of the Election Committee of Hong Kong, 2021–2026]] [[Category:HK LegCo Members 2016–2021]] [[Category:HK LegCo Members 2022–2025]] [[Category:Hong Kong pro-Beijing politicians]] [[Category:Members of the Executive Council of Hong Kong]] [[Category:Government officials of Hong Kong]]