### Legal Practitioners Ordinance 《法律執業者條例》

31. Qualifications for practising as a barrister
(1) A barrister shall not be qualified to practise as such—
(a) subject to subsection (2), unless he has completed the prescribed qualifying period of active practice; 
(b) unless he holds a valid practising certificate; 
(ba) for a barrister admitted under section 27(4) for a case (or cases) concerning national security, unless the Chief Executive issues, in respect of the barrister for the case (or cases), a CE certificate certifying both or either of the decisions under section 27D(2), and the certificate remains in effect; (Added 7 of 2023 s. 6)
(c) having qualified for admission as a barrister by virtue of section 27(1)(a)(i) or (ii) (as that section existed before its repeal by the Legal Practitioners (Amendment) Ordinance 2000 (42 of 2000)), unless he continues to be a barrister in England or Northern Ireland or an advocate in Scotland and is not there suspended from practice as such; (Amended 42 of 2000 s. 12)
(d) if he is suspended from practice under section 37; (Amended 61 of 1992 s. 16) 
(e) if he is on the roll of solicitors; (Replaced 70 of 1991 s. 7. Amended 61 of 1992 s. 16; 42 of 2000 s. 12)
(f) if he is an employed barrister within the meaning of section 31C(1). (Added 42 of 2000 s. 12)
(2) After the expiry of the first 6 months of the prescribed qualifying period of active practice, a barrister shall be qualified to practise as a barrister to such limited extent as the Bar Council may determine. 
(Replaced 58 of 1976 s. 10. Amended 70 of 1991 s. 7)

### Legal Practitioners Ordinance 《法律執業者條例》

31B. Status of visiting Queen’s Counsel
A Queen’s Counsel of another jurisdiction who is appearing in legal proceedings before a court in Hong Kong is entitled to use the title, and to be accorded the status, of Senior Counsel for the purposes of those proceedings.
(Added 94 of 1997 s. 7)

31C. Employed barristers
(1) In this section employed barrister (受僱大律師) means a barrister who, under a contract of employment, provides legal services exclusively to his employer.
(2) An employed barrister may apply to the Bar Council for an employed barrister’s certificate if—
(a) at any time, he has been issued a practising certificate under section 30; or
(b) he has completed the prescribed qualifying period of active practice; or
(c) he has been an employed barrister in Hong Kong for at least 12 months immediately preceding the date of his application.
(3) An employed barrister may be issued an employed barrister’s certificate and the provisions of sections 29(2C) and 30 (except section 30(3)(b)) respecting practising certificates apply to employed barrister’s certificates issued under this section and, for the purposes of this section, references in those sections to a barrister or a practising certificate shall be deemed to be references to an employed barrister and an employed barrister’s certificate respectively. (Amended 26 of 2012 s. 3)
(4) The publication in the Gazette by the Bar Council of a list of the names and addresses of those barristers who have obtained employed barrister’s certificates for the period therein stated shall be prima facie evidence that each person named therein is the holder of such a certificate for the period specified in such list, and the absence from any such list of the name of any person shall be prima facie evidence that the person does not hold such a certificate.
(5) An employed barrister who holds a current employed barrister’s certificate may, on behalf of his employer but for the purpose of obtaining a legal opinion only, instruct a barrister who holds a current practising certificate, without retaining a solicitor.
(Added 42 of 2000 s. 13)

### Legal Practitioners Ordinance 《法律執業者條例》

33. Bar Council—general right of audience
The Bar Council shall have a general right of audience, by any member of the Bar Council appointed for that purpose by the Bar Council or by any other counsel—
(a) before a Barristers Disciplinary Tribunal; and
(b) before the Court on the hearing of—
(i) any application to the Court for admission and enrolment as a barrister; and 
(ii) any proceedings in the Court relating to, affecting or touching any matter affecting the qualification or examination of a person seeking to be a barrister or affecting the privileges, restrictions or offences in connection with the professional practice, conduct and discipline of a barrister,
and in any such case, whether the Bar Council has or is seeking audience or not, the Bar Council shall be served with a copy of every necessary document filed with the Registrar. 
(Amended 70 of 1991 s. 8; 61 of 1992 s. 18)

### Legal Practitioners Ordinance 《法律執業者條例》

34. Barristers Disciplinary Tribunal Panel
(1) The Chief Justice is required to appoint a Barristers Disciplinary Tribunal Panel consisting of—
(a) no fewer than 6 and no more than 15 practising Senior Counsel of Hong Kong; and
(b) no fewer than 6 and no more than 20 other practising barristers of at least 7 years’ standing; and
(c) no fewer than 5 and no more than 25 lay persons who are not, in the opinion of the Chief Justice, in any way connected with the practice of the law. (Replaced 94 of 1997 s. 8)
(2) A member of the Bar Council is not eligible to be appointed to or remain on the Panel.
(3) A person appointed to the Panel shall be appointed for a term specified by the Chief Justice not to exceed 5 years but may be reappointed for a further term or terms.
(4) The Chief Justice shall appoint one of the barristers on the Panel as the Tribunal Convenor for a 3 year term and he may appoint one or more other barristers on the Panel as Deputy Tribunal Convenors for 3 year terms.
(5) A Deputy Tribunal Convenor designated by the Tribunal Convenor may act in place of the Tribunal Convenor whenever the Tribunal Convenor is prevented from exercising the Tribunal Convenor’s functions because of illness, absence from Hong Kong or any other cause. (Added 94 of 1997 s. 8)
(Replaced 61 of 1992 s. 19) Editorial Note:

For the savings and transitional provisions in relation to the amendment made by section 8(1) of the Legal Services Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance 1997 (94 of 1997), please see section 3 of Schedule 2 to the Ordinance.