Government Counsel

Duties

To be deployed in the Department of Justice undertaking criminal advocacy, civil litigation, legal advisory work (criminal, civil, national security and public international law), bilingual legislative drafting, commercial law, mutual legal assistance, legal policy work as well as formulation and implementation of law-related policies, etc. For operational or career development purposes, Government Counsel will be deployed to work in any offices/divisions of the Department of Justice, such as the Secretary for Justice’s Office, Civil Division, Prosecutions Division, Constitutional and Policy Affairs Division, International Law Division, Law Drafting Division or National Security Prosecutions Division. More information about the Department’s work can be found at the website (<https://www.doj.gov.hk>).

Entry Requirements

A career as Government Counsel in the Department of Justice offers a unique opportunity to apply and develop your professional ability. Government Counsel work with various bureaux and departments as well as law enforcement agencies and participate in legal decisions and processes concerning matters of public importance. Diverse and challenging roles that are not found in the private sector are available. We invite applications from both newly qualified lawyers (including those who expect to finish their training in summer 2027) and those with experience. We offer considerable job satisfaction, competitive salaries and fringe benefits, with prospects for promotion to higher positions.

Candidates -

(a) must be - (i) solicitors admitted in Hong Kong (Note : Candidates who will complete their training as a trainee solicitor in Hong Kong on or before 30 September 2027 may also apply. Their appointment, however, will be subject to their admission as solicitors in Hong Kong); or (ii) barristers with one year’s professional experience since attaining the right to full practice in Hong Kong (Note : Barristers with right to full practice in Hong Kong but who do not possess one year’s professional experience since attaining the right to full practice may also apply. If selected, they will enter at an appropriate point below the minimum of the Government Counsel pay scale. Candidates who will complete their pupillage in Hong Kong on or before 30 September 2027 may also apply. Their appointment, however, will be subject to their admission as barristers in Hong Kong with satisfactory completion of pupillage);

(b) must have a Level 2 result [see Note (1)] in the Use of English [see Notes (2) and (3)] paper and a Level 1 result in the Use of Chinese [see Note (2)] paper in the Common Recruitment Examination (CRE). Candidates without the requisite CRE results but who have met the other entry requirements may also apply. Appointment will be subject to their obtaining Level 2 in the Use of English paper and Level 1 in the Use of Chinese paper of the CRE on or before 31 August 2027. Candidates who do not have Level 1 in the Use of Chinese paper of the CRE by the time of appointment may also be appointed. However, only a limited number of applicants who do not possess the requisite Chinese language proficiency may be appointed subject to the operational needs of the Department. Please visit Civil Service Bureau’s website at <https://www.csb.gov.hk> for details of the CRE; and

(c) must have a pass result in the Basic Law and National Security Law Test [see Note (4)].

Pay

Master Pay Scale Point 32 to 44 (currently HK$79,410 to HK$122,045) per month. Subject to the prevailing situation, candidates may be considered for the granting of increments with additional relevant post-qualification experience above the stipulated minimum requirement.

Terms of Appointment

A new recruit will normally be appointed on civil service probationary terms for three years. Upon passage of probation bar, he/she may be considered for appointment on the prevailing permanent terms.

How to Apply

(1) Applicants must apply online through the G.F. 340 Online Application System of the Civil Service Bureau (<https://www.csb.gov.hk>) by 11 September 2026 at 6:00 p.m. Hong Kong Time. Applications which are incomplete or submitted in person, by post, by fax or by e-mail will not be accepted. (Enquiry Telephone: 3703 6550 / 3703 6551).

(2) After submitting the application through the G.F. 340 Online Application System, candidates should send a full C.V. by email to <[email hidden]> on or before 11 September 2026 at 6:00 p.m. Hong Kong Time. The online application number should be quoted in the email. If candidates fail to provide the C.V. as requested, their applications will not be considered. The C.V. should at least include the following information -

(a) gradings of the subjects taken in public examinations from secondary education onwards (with exact dates of scoring the results);

(b) results in LLB, JD, CPE, PCLL or corresponding examinations listing the gradings of the subjects taken (with copies of transcripts and certificates);

(c) exact date and place of admission/call (for trainee solicitors and pupils, please give the date of completion of training or pupillage);

(d) employment records with detailed description of duties; and

(e) work preferences. Candidates should indicate the office/division(s) (listed below) which they are interested in (in order of priority) in the C.V.:

• Law Reform Commission Secretariat of the Secretary for Justice’s Office;
• Civil Division;
• Prosecutions Division;
• Constitutional and Policy Affairs Division;
• International Law Division; and
• Law Drafting Division.

(3) As invitations or notifications will be sent to candidates by email, candidates should provide an accurate email address in their application. Candidates are responsible for checking their emails to ensure that invitation(s) or notification(s) can reach them timeously.

(4) Candidates who are selected for interview will normally receive an invitation in about six to eight weeks after the closing date for application. Those who are not invited for interview may assume that their applications are unsuccessful.

Note: A recruitment briefing will be organised for potential applicants of the Government Counsel post on 1 September 2026 at 5:30 p.m. Applicants can register to attend the recruitment briefing, which is available both in person and online. For details, please visit our website (<https://www.doj.gov.hk/en/career/counsel.html>).