Alumni profile 

Barnabas Fung 
Judge of the Court of First Instance, High Court of Hong Kong 
UNSW Alumni HK Chapter Executive Committee Member, 2006-8 

Qualifications: 
BComLLB (UNSW), Barrister of the Supreme Court of NSW 
Barrister of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong (formerly) 
Fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants 

Class of :1985, Visiting International Alumni Fellow 2002

I was a barrister at the Hong Kong Bar before joining the Judiciary as a magistrate, then District Judge and Chief District Judge, now a judge of the High Court.

I have benefited a lot from the study of law at UNSW. As I see it, our law school's ethos is to ask the right question in search for the right answer, rather than to take the answer without questioning it. The study of law equips one with an analytical mind, in focusing on the relevant issues and applying the relevant principles and rules to reach the right answer, being always guided by the principle of reasonableness and common sense. It is a good discipline not only for those who intend to enter legal practice, it is also commendable for those in administration, business and other professions.

As a teenager, my interest in the law was first aroused by Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason, and my choice of the Bar was riveted by John Mortimer's Rumploe of the Bailey. They are a good read for those who aspire to become lawyers.