LAW FOR CHANGE STUDENT COMPETITION 2019 SUSTAINABILITY IN JUST SOCIETIES, LAW WORKS FOR ALL PILnet is changing the way people think about public interest law. Together with its nonprofit and private sector partners, PILnet is creating opportunities for social change by engaging the legal profession as a whole, empowering those who serve and represent the poor and vulnerable, and enabling change that is inclusive and sustainable. Sponsored by Sponsored by I SUSTAINABILITY STUDENT COMPETITION II 1 FOREWORD ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 2019 was a challenging year for Hong Kong. The context THEME PILnet extends its deepest appreciation to the WYNG Foundation for making the Law for Change Student of “rule of law” has been a topic of debate, with those “Community” is currently the multi-year, overarching Competition possible through its generous support. in Hong Kong, especially the younger generation, theme for the Law for Change Student Competition. becoming less optimistic about the future of Hong Community can be viewed in a physical sense: as a Special thanks to the judges, legal mentors, advisory board members, and venue supporting partners. Kong. These challenges have elicited reflections on the setting that unites people with certain commonalities role law plays in practical terms for society and the and shared identities. It can also be viewed as a JUDGES importance of access to justice in Hong Kong. While the concept: a way to bring individuals together, to Davis Bookhart terms “rule of law” and “access to justice” are now part empower them to collaborate and cooperate in daily Azan Marwah of the vernacular, how Hong Kong society collectively life and in pursuit of betterment beyond one’s self, Moses Mui improves and strengthens the use of law as one of the and to promote not just a sense of belonging but also Ada Yip tools for social change continues to be a subject for inclusion and diversity. The theme serves as a reminder exploration. of our connectedness to each other, to our peers and neighbors, and to other fellow Hongkongers. The Law for Change Student Competition, established LEGAL MENTORS Barristers: by PILnet with the support of the WYNG Foundation For 2019, the focus within “Community” is Alan Leong Kah-kit, S.C. in 2017, is designed to expand students’ imaginations “Sustainability”. The challenge in the competition Cordelia Yeung about law and the role it plays in Hong Kong society. is to use the law to build a sustainable community. Wesley Wong Participants must apply the knowledge they learned in Communities are dynamic: existing ones evolve and the classroom to issues seen on the street and consider new ones take form. A community strengthens and Individual Lawyers: creative approaches to enhance the impact of non- grows not merely because its members can co-exist, Danny Kan governmental organizations (NGOs) and, in turn, to but because they work together to build a community Christine Wong amplify access to justice. that is sustainable. Law Firms: The competition is intended to stimulate interest The students are encouraged to contemplate in their in public interest law and to create opportunities own way what constitutes a sustainable community. Jonathan Chang, Robyn Crowter, Kate Chan, Caroline Wang for implementing sustainable initiatives to address The students’ projects must demonstrate how the law legal needs in Hong Kong. Projects developed in the can be used as a tool to build a sustainable community Spencer Park, Mack Wan, Leo Li, Nicole Yeung competition will complement the programs of local and ensure that the project itself is sustainable over NGOs that provide direct services to low-income time. Madhu Krishnan, Tracy Lee, Emilie Soust, May Ting Poon, Kelvin Ho, Joanna Ku and vulnerable communities by using legal tools and expertise in an innovative way. Tiffany Yan, Donnelly Chan, Lawrence Li, Florence Sit PRIZE This publication is a collection of the project proposals Maggie Cheung, Sandy Zhang submitted by the seven finalist teams. The proposals The winning team and two runner-up teams will be selected by a panel of four judges and will each receive are the sole work of the teams and are published by Denis Brock, Alvin Sin, Aditya Kurian, Valerie Tsui, Dave Chan, Jeremiah Lau PILnet in their unedited form with permission. seed grants of HK$50,000 and HK$25,000, respectively, to implement their projects. These teams are expected Malcolm Kemp, Yeeling Wan, Pel Lee, Minnie Wong to implement their project within six to twelve months immediately following the end of the competition. ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Stephenson Chow Luke Marsh Lindsay Ernst Keith Wong PILnet Teresa Ma January 2020 VENUE SUPPORTING PARTNERS 2 3 PILnet is excited to present the panel of judges for the 2019 Law for Change Student JUDGING Competition and is appreciative of the time they have dedicated to empower the PANEL next generation of lawyers. The panel of judges is comprised of experts on the rule of law, social justice, innovation, and sustainability issues in Hong Kong. Davis Bookhart Azan Marwah Moses Mui AdaProf YipRaees Baig Davis Bookhart is an Adjunct Assistant Azan Marwah is a barrister in private Moses Mui is a registered social worker AdaProf YipRaees is the Baig CEO is anof Urbanassistant Spring, professor a Professor of the Division of Environment and practice. His work covers a broad spectrum who has spent over 20 years in the social purpose-drivenin the department start-up of social with work a mission at The Sustainability, and Head of the Sustainability of civil litigation and disputes, specializing welfare sector. He is currently the Chief toChinese reduce University the consumption of Hong of Kong. single- Her Unit in the Hong Kong University of Science in matters that include a cross-border, Officer (Family and Community) of the useresearch plastic interests in Hong include Kong by social building policy, a and Technology (HKUST). He teaches public or administrative law element. His Hong Kong Council of Social Service, mainly watercivil society refill network. and political Ada participationis also a trustee as classes on sustainability management and experience extends to work raising issues responsible for the service development ofwell WYNG as human Foundation rights and equality.a director She of sustainability thinking, both of which train from international sale of goods, cross- in family and community services. During WYNG43was previously Social anInvestment. honourary Previously, lecturer at aspiring students in the skills and mental border fraud, taxation, employment, to his earlier years as a frontline social sheUniversity was the of Program Hong Kong. Director of the i2i framework necessary for solving complex land use planning. Azan is also a qualified worker, Moses has worked in various (incubation to investment) programme problems in the 21st century. He serves mediator and published expert in family agencies involving different professional atProf SOW Baig Asia, has abeen Hong working Kong-based for various impact as Secretariat for the HKUST Sustainable and child law, advising a number of areas including suicide prevention, family investorlocal and and international accelerator. human Before rights focusing Smart Campus as a Living Lab initiative, is charitable organizations and representing counselling, and community development. moreorganizations on impact including driven initiatives, the Hong Ada Kong the Chair of the Task Force on Sustainability parties before the family courts. Azan Moses is also the Honorary Secretary of workedHuman atRights a number Monitor of financial and The institutionsHong Progress within the Hong Kong Sustainable is regularly engaged to draft several Consortium of Institutes on Family in the inKong Toronto, Council Hong of Social Kong, Service. and Tokyo. She Ada was Campus Consortium, and was appointed Private Members’ Bills. He has advised Asia Region (CIFA), a member of Hong isalso also a Senioron the Minorityboard of theFellow Hong under Kong the to the Environment and Sustainability on amendments to legislation in a wide Kong Advisory Council on AIDS (ACA), a InstituteUN Office of of Social High Impact Commissioner Analysts, for Teach Committee for the Hong Kong General variety of areas including regulatory, panel member of Human Organ Transplant ForHuman Hong Rights Kong, in and 2013. Education She is currently For Good. Chamber of Commerce. He also serves as an environmental, criminal, child protection Board and a SC.Net member of Community Shethe vice-chairpersonis part of the assessment of HER Fund, panel of the advisory council member of the Association and family law. He regularly advises Investment & Inclusion Fund. Enhancinga registered Self-Reliance charity that Through promotes District for the Advancement of Sustainability in commercial in-house counsel, charitable Partnershipwomen’s rights Programme and gender under equality. the Home Higher Education, a leading organization and non-profit organisations on the Affairs Department and the Enhancing of global sustainability transformation. legislative process. Azan is the co-founder Employment of People with Disabilities Formerly Davis was the Founding Director of the Hong Kong Public Interest Law through Small Enterprise Project under the of the Sustainability Office at Johns Hopkins Group and the Hong Kong Public Interest Social Welfare Department. University. He also founded Charm21 (Clean Law Conference, and the founding legal and Healthy Air through Renewables in adviser to Hong Kong Marriage