Judicial appointments
The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:
The Judiciary today (December 9) announced the appointments of MrGeorge Lam Ting-wah, Ms Jennifer Ng Che-ling and Ms Shirley Cornelia Hung as Permanent Magistrates. The appointments are made by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission. They will take effect on December 10, 2025.
The biographical notes of the three appointees are as follows:
Mr George Lam Ting-wah
Mr Lam was born in Hong Kong in 1969. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Business degree from Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana, the United States, in 1991. He completed the Common Professional Examination and obtained a P.C.LL. from the University of Hong Kong in 1997 and 1998 respectively. He further acquired an LL.B from the Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom in 2001 and an LL.M. from the Columbia University in New York, the United States, in 2022. He was called to the Bar in Hong Kong in 1998 and has been in private practice since 2000.
Ms Jennifer Ng Che-ling
Ms Ng was born in Hong Kong. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry degree from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, in 1994. She completed the Common Professional Examination and obtained a P.C.LL. from the University of Hong Kong in 1996 and 1997 respectively. She further acquired an LL.B from the Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom in 1999. She was called to the Bar in Hong Kong in 1997 and has been in private practice since 1998.
Ms Shirley Cornelia Hung
Ms Hung was born in Hong Kong in 1985. She obtained a Bachelor of Mathematics and Business Administration degree from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, in 2006. She further obtained an LL.B. from the Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom in 2009 and a P.C.LL. from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2010. She was called to the Bar in Hong Kong in 2011 and has been in private practice since 2012.
Employers, contractors and employees should be aware of electrical safety at work during rainstorms
As the rainstorm warning has been issued by the Hong Kong Observatory, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and contractors that they should adopt necessary work arrangements and take suitable safety measures to protect the safety of their employees when they are carrying out electrical work or handling electrical plant.
A spokesman for the LD said today (March 3) that employers and contractors should avoid assigning employees to carry out electrical work (such as electric arc welding work) or handle electrical plant at places affected by rainstorms, and should refer to the "Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and 'Extreme Conditions'" and the "Guide on Safety at Work in times of Inclement Weather" issued by the LD.
Even if electrical work is carried out or electrical plant is handled at places not affected by a rainstorm, suitable safety measures must still be adopted to prevent an electric shock as the air would be more humid. Such measures include:
(i) Ensure that all live parts of an electrical installation are isolated from the power supply source and rendered dead, and the isolation from the power supply source must be maintained as long as electrical work is being carried out;
(ii) Before carrying out any electrical work or handling any electrical plant, cut off and lock out the power supply source, then test the circuit concerned to confirm that it is dead and display suitable warning notices, and issue a work permit thereafter;
(iii) Ensure that protective devices (such as suitable and adequate fuses and circuit breakers) for the electrical installations or electrical plant have been installed and maintained in good working order, and portable electric tools must be double-insulated or properly earthed;
(iv) Provide suitable personal protective equipment such as insulating gloves and insulating mats for employees; and
(v) If live electrical work is unavoidable, a comprehensive risk assessment should be conducted by a competent person and the appropriate safety precautions should be taken to remove or properly control the electrical hazards involved before such work can proceed.
In addition, employees should co-operate with the employer or contractor to follow the safety instructions and use the safety equipment provided.
The LD has published guidebooks and leaflets on electrical work safety. These safety publications are available free from divisional offices of the department or can be downloaded from its website (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/content2_8.htm).
Should there be any questions about occupational safety and health matters, please contact the Occupational Safety Officer of the LD at 2559 2297.
Source: AI-found images
