"Chen Hung-yee" redirects here. For the Chinese figure skater, see Chen Hongyi.
In this Hong Kong name, the surnameisChen. In accordance with Hong Kong custom, the Western-style name is Albert Chen and the Chinese-style name is Chen Hung-yee.
Chen started his academic career in 1984, becoming a lecturer at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) at the age of 27. At the time he was the only legal scholar at the university that spoke Chinese.[1][3] He was promoted to senior lecturer in 1988, and full professor in 1993.[1] Chen was the Head of the HKU Department of Law between 1993 and 1996, when he was appointed Dean of the HKU Faculty of Law until 2002. He was the first Chinese to serve in either position.[3] In 2007, Chen was endowed with the Chan Professorship in Constitutional Law,[1] which was renamed to Cheng Chan Lan Yue Professorship in Constitutional Law in 2015.[5] Chen became the Chair of Constitutional Law in 2021.[1]
During the 2014–2015 Hong Kong electoral reform, Chen advised the opposition pro-democracy camp that they should accept the government's proposal as their ideal electoral system was impossible to achieve.[9] He also proposed that "none of the above" be an additional option on the Chief Executive ballot. When "none-of-the-above" votes, or blank votes, account for over half of all ballots cast, the result would be nullified and a 1200-member nominating committee would elect a provisional Chief Executive.[10][11] However, political groups were generally not welcoming of the proposal,[12] and it was not accepted.
In 2019, the Hong Kong government proposed the 2019 Hong Kong extradition bill to amend the city's extradition mechanism. Chen voiced his concerns of the bill, including the difficult position Hong Kong's courts would be in when judging the lawofMainland China. He suggested that extraditable offences be limited to the most serious crimes, extraditions be applicable only to crimes committed after the bill was passed, and that Hong Kong residents be excluded from extraditions.[13]
The National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) of Chinapassed changes in the Hong Kong electoral system in 2021, allowing only "patriots" to serve as the Chief Executive and in the Hong Konglegislature. Chen responded that the electoral system will attract candidates deterred by the past political environment, previously with a large number of pan-democrats, who may not be suited to participate in elections but nonetheless are willing to serve Hong Kong.[14][15]
In October 2022, HKU's mandatory national security course featured Chen in the first video lecture; the video was criticized for failing to explain where the red line is drawn.[16]
^"Professor CHEN Hung Yee, Albert, SBS, JP"(PDF). Newsletter of the St. Paul's Co-educational College Alumni Association. St. Paul’s Co-educational College Alumni Association. October 2021. p. 25. Archived from the original(PDF) on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
^"委员会职责" (in Chinese). Hong Kong Basic Law Committee of the National People's Congress Standing Committee. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
