法律援助署五十周年紀念特刊 | Legal Aid Department 50th Anniversary Commemorative Publication

P.21 Students Helping Students Kwong’s father left their ancestral village after the outbreak of World War II, first for Hong Kong and subsequently for Melbourne, Australia where he was brought up. At the age of 18, he opted to continue his university education in Sydney. “After developing an interest in legal studies at high school, it was natural for me to pursue this career path,” Kwong explains. “I was very active in my university days as a student leader advocating for student’s rights as well as equality for all students irrespective of races. Networks were also set up to assist overseas students who were studying far from home.” After he graduated with a Bachelor of Political Science and a Bachelor of Laws, Kwong completed his training at the College of Law in Australia. He was eventually admitted as Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1986. The same year, the Hong Kong Government was actively recruiting overseas lawyers. “I saw an advertisement and applied,” he remembers. “I was very interested in pursuing a career in legal aid despite knowing that salaries in the private sector were much higher than in government jobs. I guess I was leaning strongly towards public service because of my belief that everyone should have equal access to justice.” 同儕互助 第二次世界大戰爆發後，署長的父親離開故鄉，先後定居 香港和署長成長的地方 ﹣澳洲墨爾本。18歲時，署長選擇到 悉尼升讀大學。「在高中時對法律科產生興趣，於是自然 而然地以此為事業方向。」他說：「我讀大學時曾經以學生 領袖的身分，積極提倡學生權益，為來自不同種族的所有 學生爭取平等待遇。此外，也建立網絡協助離鄉別井的海外 留學生。」 取得政治學學士和法學士學位後，署長於澳洲律師學院 完成法律訓練，並於1986年獲認許為新南威爾斯最高法院的 律師。同年，香港政府積極招聘海外律師。「我看到廣告 便提出申請。」他至今記憶猶新：「我對法律援助的工作 非常有興趣。雖然知道私人執業律師的工資遠比政府律師的 為高，但我十分希望為大眾市民服務，因為我相信任何人都 應該有平等的權利尋求公義。」 法律援助署五十周年紀念特刊 署長於1986年獲認許為新南威爾斯最高法 院的律師。 Kwong was admitted as Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1986.