Page 10 - Demo

8 PreliminariesWhile some lamented changes that had taken place, each and every one gave me the distinct feeling that they were proud to be members of the Hong Kong Bar. It was impossible not to be awed by the Bar%u2019s history and what its members had together achieved. I was proud to have joined a profession with such rich history, traditions and camaraderie.The past 25 years have seen further significant changes to the social, economic and political environment in Hong Kong. There has also been a sea change in culture and dynamics within the profession and the practice of our courts and tribunals. The markers of change are varied and abundant: from the days when we were not permitted to give someone our name cards unless first asked to an era where practice promotion is no longer frowned upon; from the first introduction of skeleton arguments to conducting remote hearings with witnesses %u2013 and sometimes even counsel and tribunal members %u2013 in different time zones; from the days when members of the public were not permitted to attend hearings before judges in chambers to the introduction of live broadcasts for hearings in our Court of Final Appeal with thousands of viewers. I also note that most of our young members have never attended a Bar Mess where Mr. or Madam Junior had the onerous responsibility of asking for permission to smoke.Some of the newer challenges faced by Hong Kong are unique but many of them are common, especially across the jurisdictions where there is still an independent referral Bar.Looking around the world, the referral Bar is the exception and not the norm. The cab-rank rule is unheard of in most jurisdictions. And we are one of the few remaining Bars that are completely self-regulated as we discharge our own disciplinary and licensing functions. Yet some things remain unchanged, save perhaps for an even keener sense of their importance to the community. The existence of a strong independent Bar in Hong Kong is something that remains unchanged. I am glad to report that the size of our membership has more than doubled since we celebrated our 50th Anniversary. Members of the Bar have continued to take up