Maria Tam

{{Short description|Hong Kong politician}} {{family name hatnote|[[Tan (surname)|Tam]]|Maria Tam|Tam Wai-chu|lang=Hong Kong}} {{Use British English|date=June 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}} {{Infobox officeholder |honorific_prefix= [[The Honourable]] |name=Maria Tam |native_name={{nobold|譚惠珠}} |native_name_lang = zh-hk |honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=HKG|size=100%|GBM|GBS|CBE|JP}} |birth_name = Tam Wai-chu |birth_date={{birth date and age|df=yes|1945|11|2}} |birth_place=Hong Kong |image=Maria Tam Wai-chu 2020.jpg |office=Head of the [[Hong Kong delegation to the National People's Congress|Hong Kong Delegation to the National People's Congress]] |term_start=March 2013 |term_end=3 March 2018 |predecessor = [[Yuen Mo]] |successor = [[Ma Fung-kwok]] |office1=Unofficial Member of the [[Executive Council of Hong Kong]] |term_start1=1 September 1983 |term_end1=31 October 1991 |predecessor1 = [[Harry Fang Sin-yang|Henry Fang]] |successor1 = [[Selina Chow]] |appointer1=Sir [[Edward Youde]] Sir [[David Wilson, Baron Wilson of Tillyorn|David Wilson]] |office2=Unofficial Member of the [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong]] |term_start2=1 September 1981 |term_end2=22 August 1991 |appointer2=Sir [[Murray MacLehose]] Sir [[Edward Youde]] Sir [[David Wilson, Baron Wilson of Tillyorn|David Wilson]] |term_start3=21 December 1996 |term_end3=27 June 1997 ([[Provisional Legislative Council]]) |education=[[St. Paul's Co-educational College]] |alma_mater=[[University of London]] ([[Bachelor of Laws|LLB]]) [[Gray's Inn]] |occupation=Barrister |party=[[Progressive Hong Kong Society]] {{small|(1985–90)}} [[Liberal Democratic Federation of Hong Kong]] {{small|(1990–97)}} [[Hong Kong Progressive Alliance]] {{small|(1997–2005)}} [[Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong]] {{small|(2005–15)}} |other_party= }} {{Infobox Chinese |order= |showflag= |t=譚惠珠 |s=谭惠珠 |p=Tán Huìzhū |j=Taam4 Wai6 zyu1 |y=Tàahm Waih jyū }}

'''Maria Tam Wai-chu''' {{Post-nominals|country=HKG|GBM|GBS|CBE|JP}} ({{lang-zh|譚惠珠}}; born 2 November 1945) is a senior Hong Kong politician and lawyer. She is a member of the Committee for the Basic Law of the [[National People's Congress Standing Committee]] (NPCSC) since 1997 and the chairman of the Operations Review Committee of the [[Independent Commission Against Corruption (Hong Kong)|Independent Commission Against Corruption]] (ICAC) since 2015.

As a successful politician early on, Tam was a member of the four different levels of representative councils, [[Executive Council of Hong Kong|Executive Council]], [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council]], [[Urban Council of Hong Kong|Urban Council]], and [[Central and Western District Board]] in colonial Hong Kong in the 1980s. She was also a member of the [[Hong Kong Basic Law Drafting Committee]] and took up various appointments from the Beijing government after she departed from the colonial government over the conflict of interest scandal in 1991.

Since 1997, she has become a recognisable spokesperson for the Beijing authorities on constitutional matters such as the interpretations of the [[Basic Law of Hong Kong|Basic Law]] and constitutional reforms, in which she has always firmly stood and defended all of Beijing's decisions.{{Citation needed|date=March 2026}}

==Early colonial career== Tam was born on 2 November 1945, in [[Hong Kong]], to Tam Chung, a senior police officer.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://hk.lifestyle.appledaily.com/nextplus/magazine/article/20170317/2_487996_1/-%E4%B8%AD%E7%92%B0%E4%BA%BA%E8%AA%9E-%E8%AD%9A%E6%83%A0%E7%8F%A0%E8%AD%A6%E5%AF%9F%E7%88%B8%E7%88%B8-%E4%BD%8F%E5%8D%8A%E5%B1%B1%E9%96%8B%E5%A4%9C%E7%B8%BD%E6%9C%83|title=【中環人語】譚惠珠警察爸爸住半山開夜總會|date=2017-03-17|work=壹週Plus}}{{Dead link|date=September 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> She graduated from the [[St. Paul's Co-educational College]] before she obtained a Bachelor of Laws from the [[University of London]] and her admission as a barrister at the [[Gray's Inn]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Database on Legislative Council Members|url=http://app.legco.gov.hk/member_front/english/library/member_detail.aspx?id=198|publisher=The Legislative Council Commission}}</ref><ref name="citation"/>

She first stepped into politics when she ran in the [[1979 Hong Kong municipal election|1979 Urban Council election]] as an advocate for women's rights. She was elected with more than 5,000 votes, the third ranked in the election behind veteran Urban Councillors [[Elsie Elliott]] and [[Denny Huang]]. She was soon appointed to sit on the [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council]] in 1981.<ref name="citation"/> She was one of the recipients of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award and was appointed [[Justice of the Peace]] in 1982. She became the appointed member of the [[Central and Western District Board]] when the board was first created in 1982 under the district administration reform by [[Governor of Hong Kong|Governor]] [[Murray MacLehose]]. She became a member of four different levels of representative councils in Hong Kong when she was appointed to the [[Executive Council of Hong Kong|Executive Council]], the top advisory body in the colonial government in 1983.<ref name="HKLEF">{{cite web|title=Hon. Maria Tam GBM GBS JP|url=http://www.lef.com.hk/advisory-board/honorary-consultants/hon-maria-tam-gbm-gbs-jp/|work=Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation}}</ref>

==Transition period== During her era the Sino-British negotiations over the Hong Kong sovereignty after 1997 took place. She was one of the members of the delegation of the unofficial members of the Executive and Legislative Councils (UMELC) led by Sir [[Chung Sze-yuen]] to London and Beijing to lobby for the interests of the Hong Kong people. In December 1984 when she met with [[British Prime Minister]] [[Margaret Thatcher]], she raised the question of the proposed [[Sino-British Joint Declaration]] and the "possible incompatibility between the Chinese constitution and the basic law", especially the protection of human rights.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thestandnews.com/politics/%E5%8F%8D-%E9%87%8B-%E4%B9%8B%E8%AC%8A-%E8%AD%B7%E6%B3%95%E9%81%94%E4%BA%BA%E8%AD%9A%E6%83%A0%E7%8F%A0/|title=反「釋」之謊：護法達人譚惠珠|work=立場新聞|date=30 September 2017}}</ref>

She was appointed by the Beijing government to sit on the [[Hong Kong Basic Law Drafting Committee]] in 1985 which was responsible for the drafting of the [[Basic Law of Hong Kong]], the mini-constitution of the post-1997 Hong Kong. She was also awarded an Officer of the [[Most Excellent Order of the British Empire]] in 1985, and a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1988.<ref name="citation">[https://www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk/cong/uploads/hongrads/335_en.pdf] Chinese University of Hong Kong Citation</ref>

She founded both the [[Federation of Women Lawyers]] and the [[Hong Kong Police Force#Police associations|Junior Police Officers' Association]].<ref>[https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2076485/hong-kong-police-urged-reject-questionable-cash-jailed Hong Kong police urged to reject ‘questionable’ cash for jailed officers’ families], SCMP, 6 Mar, 2017</ref> As the colonial government intended to introduce greater representative democracy in the transition period, Tam also founded the [[Progressive Hong Kong Society]] (PHKS) in 1985 to participate in the elections. The Progressive Hong Kong Society became the backbone of the [[Liberal Democratic Federation of Hong Kong]] (LDF) set by a group of conservative business and professional elites in 1990 for the preparation of the [[1991 Hong Kong legislative election|first direct election]] of the Legislative Council in 1991, of which she became the vice-chairman of the new party.<ref name="Chan">{{cite book|page=58|title=The Challenge of Hong Kong's Reintegration with China: Modern Diasporic Femininity|first=Ming K.|last=Chan|publisher=Hong Kong University Press|year=1997}}</ref>

However, Tam's political career seemed to come to an end when she was found to be in a potential conflict of interest as she was involved in her family's taxi company while also being a member and former chairman of the Transport Advisory Committee.<ref name=scmp1987202>{{cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/1987202/hong-kongs-icac-risk-losing-its-independence|title=Hong Kong's ICAC at risk of losing its independence|work=[[South China Morning Post]]|date=8 July 2016 }}</ref> Although she eventually abandoned her shares in the company under pressure, she was not re-appointed by Governor [[David Clive Wilson|David Wilson]] in the Executive and Legislative Councils after the incident. A new set of guidelines was also introduced requiring members of the councils to declare their business interests.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Politics of Democratization in Hong Kong|last=Lo|first=Shiu-hing|pages=239–40|year=2016|publisher=Springer}}</ref>

==Pro-Beijing career== After her departure from the colonial government, she found favour from the Beijing authorities. She accepted various appointments in the run up to 1997, including to the [[Preparatory Committee for the HKSAR]], and as a [[Hong Kong Affairs Advisor]] and member of the [[Selection Committee (Hong Kong)|Selection Committee]]. She was elected to the [[Provisional Legislative Council]] (PLC) installed by Beijing. She subsequently resigned from the PLC to take a seat on the [[Hong Kong Basic Law Committee]] of the [[National People's Congress Standing Committee]] (NPCSC) in 1997. In that capacity, Tam became one of the most loyal mouthpieces of the Beijing authorities on legal matters, especially in defence of controversial interpretations of the Basic Law and in the constitutional reform debate after 1997.<ref>Vines, Steven (25 Mar 1997). [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/tycoons-shift-allegiance-as-britains-power-wanes-1274935.html "Tycoons shift allegiance as Britain's power wanes"]. ''The Independent''</ref>

In 1997, she led the Liberal Democratic Federation to merge with the [[Hong Kong Progressive Alliance]] (HKPA), another pro-business pro-Beijing party. In 2005 when the Progressive Alliance was merged into the [[Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong]] (DAB), Tam became the party vice-chairman from 2005 to 2007. She also held various public positions at the time, such as member of the [[Urban Renewal Authority]] and the [[Airport Authority Hong Kong]].<ref name="HKLEF"/>

During the highly controversial [[National Security (Legislative Provisions) Bill 2003|national security legislation]] of the [[Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23|Basic Law Article 23]] which later caused a record number of more than [[Hong Kong July 1 marches#2003|500,000 people demonstration]] on 1 July 2003, Tam supported the government's decision to pass the bill. She even said that anyone who did not support the Article 23 legislation was not fit to be Chinese.<ref>{{cite book|title=Underground Front: The Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong|first=Christine|last=Loh|page=219|publisher=Hong Kong University Press}}</ref> In the constitutional reform debates in 2005 and 2010, Tam led the opposition against the [[pro-democrats]]' demand for the universal suffrage of [[Chief Executive of Hong Kong|Chief Executive]] and Legislative Council and defended the government's proposals.

In February 2006, Tam joined the board of subsequently Hong Kong-listed mainland [[Nine Dragons Paper Holdings Limited]], one of the world's largest paperboard manufacturers, whose conditions for workers at its plants were sharply criticised in the 2008 human rights report by the US [[Congressional-Executive Commission on China]] and by Hong Kong's [[Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour]] (SACOM).<ref>[https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2009/02/23/blue_box_recycler_cited_for_abuses.html Bluebox recycler cited for abuses], 23 February 2009. ''Toronto Star''</ref>

==Recent career== Tam became the head of [[Hong Kong delegation to the National People's Congress|National People's Congress Hong Kong delegation]] from March 2013. On the matter of the universal suffrage of the Chief Executive, Tam said the United Nations' [[International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights]] indicated that the right to be elected is not universal. She also suggested that an interpretation of the Basic Law by Beijing could be the last option for determining how universal suffrage could be implemented for the [[2017 Hong Kong Chief Executive election|2017 Chief Executive election]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1204078/basic-law-interpretation-last-resort-settle-universal-suffrage-debate|date=31 March 2013|title=Beijing-loyalist Maria Tam says the right to be elected is not universal|newspaper=South China Morning Post|first1=Phila|last1=Siu|first2=Stuart|last2=Lau|first3=Colleen|last3=Lee}}</ref> In the [[2014 Hong Kong electoral reform|2014 constitutional reform debate]], Tam actively opposed the pro-democrats' campaign for the "public nomination" of the Chief Executive, saying that was against the Basic Law, which states that candidates shall be put forward by a nominating committee.<ref>{{cite news|title=Beijing not ready to lay down law on 2017 election|date=3 March 2014|newspaper=South China Morning Post|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1438798/beijing-not-ready-lay-down-law-2017-election}}</ref> She received the [[Grand Bauhinia Medal]] (GBM), the highest award under the HKSAR honours and awards system, on 1 July 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1272712/basic-law-panel-member-maria-tam-receives-grand-bauhinia-medal|title=Basic Law panel member Maria Tam receives Grand Bauhinia Medal|date=1 July 2013|newspaper=South China Morning Post|first=Emily|last=Tsang}}</ref>

In 2015, Tam was appointed chairman of the Operations Review Committee of the [[Independent Commission Against Corruption (Hong Kong)|Independent Commission Against Corruption]] (ICAC) by Chief Executive [[Leung Chun-ying]].<ref>[http://www.icac.org.hk/en/checks_and_balances/ac/acc/index.html ICAC Advisory Committees]</ref> Under her spell, high-flying head of investigations Rebecca Li Bo-lan was controversially sacked. The sudden dismissal came during Li's enquiry into possible impropriety relating to a [[Leung Chun-ying–UGL agreement|$50 million payment]] made to Leung Chun-ying.<ref>[http://www.asiasentinel.com/politics/hong-kong-icac-under-threat/ Hong Kong Anti-Graft Watchdog Under Threat], Asia Sentinel, 11 July 2016</ref>

In 2017, Tam was the founding president of the Junior Police Officers’ Association fund which raised over HK$10 million for the families of the seven police officers who were convicted and jailed for two years for [[beating of Ken Tsang|beating activist Ken Tsang Kin-chiu]] at the height of the [[2014 Hong Kong protests|Occupy protests]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fund to help jailed Hong Kong police officers collects over HK$10 million|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2075505/fund-help-jailed-hong-kong-police-officers-collects-over|date=2 March 2017|newspaper=South China Morning Post}}</ref>

In November 2020, following the expulsion of 4 pro-democracy lawmakers from the Legislative Council, Tam said that [[Standing Committee of the National People's Congress|NPCSC]] decisions are not challengeable, and that any judicial review would almost certainly fail.<ref>{{Cite web|title='Feel free to challenge the unchallengeable' - RTHK|url=https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1559606-20201112.htm?|access-date=2020-11-12|website=news.rthk.hk|language=en-gb}}</ref>

Tam supported the arrests of 53 pro-democracy figures in January 2021, and when asked about whether they were doing something illegal, she responded "All I can tell is that it is not 'nothing.' There is something. It is only a matter of whether more evidence is there."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Opposition plan to reject budget, force Carrie Lam to quit 'illegal': pro-Beijing Tam ｜ Apple Daily|url=https://hk.appledaily.com/news/20210109/N5QP4HULQVEYBHKEEDZFLFOBOM/|access-date=2021-01-09|website=Apple Daily 蘋果日報|language=zh-hk|archive-date=9 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109000551/https://hk.appledaily.com/news/20210109/N5QP4HULQVEYBHKEEDZFLFOBOM/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In February 2021, following the [[2020 Hong Kong Legislative Council mass resignations]], Tam claimed that there were not enough members of the Legislative Council to decide on reforms of the electoral system, and therefore the [[Standing Committee of the National People's Congress|NPCSC]] would take charge of such reforms.<ref>{{Cite web|title='HK doesn't have enough lawmakers to decide reforms' - RTHK|url=https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1576948-20210223.htm?|access-date=2021-02-23|website=news.rthk.hk|language=en-gb}}</ref>

In December 2021, during the [[2021 Hong Kong legislative election]], Tam played down the record-low voter turnout.<ref>{{Cite web|title=EC members play down voter turnout - RTHK|url=https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1624924-20211219.htm?|access-date=2021-12-19|website=news.rthk.hk|language=en-gb}}</ref> Tam said that the 30% voter turnout was "quite good" and within her expectations.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Turnout was well within my expectation: Maria Tam - RTHK|url=https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1625331-20211221.htm?|access-date=2021-12-21|website=news.rthk.hk|language=en-gb}}</ref>

In December 2022, after the NPCSC ruled that the Chief Executive could ban foreign lawyers from defending national security cases, in response to [[Jimmy Lai]] attempting to hire [[Tim Owen (barrister)|Tim Owen]], Tam supported the NPCSC's decision and said Hong Kong courts were still independent and "no criticism were made against Hong Kong courts at all."<ref>{{Cite web |title='Interpretation strengthens power given to HK' - RTHK |url=https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1682045-20221231.htm? |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=news.rthk.hk |language=en-gb}}</ref>

In February 2023, Tam said that Hong Kong was "far more powerful and democratic" than when it was under British rule, and also said that "We have universal suffrage. We can impeach the chief executive. We have checks and balances in respect of the laws or the budget that's been put forward by the executive."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-10 |title=Ex-Hong Kong leader CY Leung slams UK group's seminar invitation withdrawal |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3209774/extreme-irony-ex-city-leader-cy-leung-hits-out-uk-parliamentary-groups-decision-withdraw-seminar |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}</ref>

==See also== * [[Rita Fan]]

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== * [http://www.asian-affairs.com/HongKong/tammaria.html Maria Tam interview]

{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=[[Henry H. O. Luk]]}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of [[Urban Council]]|years=1979–1986}} {{s-aft|after=[[Chow Wai-keung]]}} {{s-par|hk}} {{s-new|parliament}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of [[Provisional Legislative Council]]|years=1997}} {{s-aft|after=[[Choy So-yuk]]}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=[[Lo Chi-keung]]}} {{s-ttl|title=Vice-Chairman of [[Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong]]|years=2005–2007}} {{s-aft|after=[[Gregory So]]}} {{s-par|cn}} {{s-bef|before=[[Yuen Mo]]}} {{s-ttl|title=Head of the [[Hong Kong delegation to the National People's Congress|Hong Kong Delegation to the National People's Congress]]|years=2013–2018}} {{s-aft|after=[[Ma Fung-kwok]]}} {{s-prec}} {{s-bef|before=[[Peter Woo]] ''Recipient of the Grand Bauhinia Medal''}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Hong Kong order of precedence]] ''Recipient of the Grand Bauhinia Medal''}} {{s-aft|after=[[Jose Yu]] ''President of the City University of Hong Kong''}} {{end}}

{{Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tam, Maria}} [[Category:1945 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Recipients of the Grand Bauhinia Medal]] [[Category:Recipients of the Gold Bauhinia Star]] [[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:Delegates to the 8th National People's Congress from Hong Kong]] [[Category:Delegates to the 9th National People's Congress from Hong Kong]] [[Category:Delegates to the 10th National People's Congress from Hong Kong]] [[Category:Delegates to the 11th National People's Congress from Hong Kong]] [[Category:Delegates to the 12th National People's Congress from Hong Kong]] [[Category:Members of the Executive Council of Hong Kong]] [[Category:Members of the Urban Council of Hong Kong]] [[Category:District councillors of Central and Western District]] [[Category:District councillors of Eastern District]] [[Category:Members of the Preparatory Committee for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region]] [[Category:Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong politicians]] [[Category:Liberal Democratic Federation of Hong Kong politicians]] [[Category:Progressive Hong Kong Society politicians]] [[Category:New Hong Kong Alliance politicians]] [[Category:Barristers of Hong Kong]] [[Category:Members of the Provisional Legislative Council]] [[Category:HK LegCo Members 1985–1988]] [[Category:HK LegCo Members 1988–1991]] [[Category:Women members of the Executive Council of Hong Kong]] [[Category:Alumni of University of London Worldwide]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of London]] [[Category:Members of Gray's Inn]] [[Category:Members of the Selection Committee of Hong Kong]] [[Category:Hong Kong Basic Law Drafting Committee members]] [[Category:Hong Kong Affairs Advisors]] [[Category:Hong Kong women lawyers]] [[Category:Alumni of St. Paul's Co-educational College]] [[Category:Members of the Election Committee of Hong Kong, 2021–2026]] [[Category:20th-century Hong Kong women politicians]] [[Category:21st-century Hong Kong women politicians]]