Recognize My Own Shadow
- Peter Kam Fai Cheung SBS
- Jan 25, 2019
- 3 min read
FADE IN:
INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY
PETER reads a travel magazine.
PETER (V.O.)
Yes, I should add a side trip
to Asahikawa in Feb to see
the world's largest ice
sculptures.
Pausing.
PETER(V.O.)(Cont'd)
I must be enjoying life,
planning my travel in the
morning.
INT. RESTAURANT - DAY
Peter's phone rings.
CALLER#1
(From phone)
Mr Cheung, would you accept
the brief...Oh, I check that you
won't be in Hong Kong...
PETER
Yes, I've to decline...
EXT. ROAD - DAY
Coming out from a swimming pool, Peter's hair is still wet. He checks his phone messages.
PETER (V.O.)
Well, a lawyer friend wanted
to talk me an hour ago.
Peter types.
INT. SITTING ROOM
CALLER#2
(From phone)
To continue to celebrate HKU
Law Faculty's Golden Jubilee,
would you like to share some
reflections?
PETER
Well, it's a great honour to be
included...
FLASHBACK & MONTAGE OF PETER'S HKU LAW FACULTY CONNECTIONS (1981-1985)
A/ Summer, 1981, Peter (27) attends a written exam and an interview at the LAW SCHOOL.
B/ Autumn, 1981, Peter travels from his parents' HOME to the LAW SCHOOL.
C/ Autumn,1982, in a TUTORIAL GROUP of eight persons, Peter is the only male.
D/ Autumn, 1983, Peter attends classes in CHINESE LAW and INTERNATIONAL TRADE LAW.
E/ Autumn, 1984, Peter attends an LLB GRADUATION CEREMONY.
F/ Autumn, 1985, Peter finds his name in the PCLL PASS LIST.
END FLASHBACK & MONTAGE
CALLER#2
(From phone)
Would you be available from
end March to mid-April?
Peter taps his phone calendar.
PETER
(Apologetically)
I've to chase sakura blossoms
from March 31 to April 3.
CALLER#2
You're well deserved to enjoy
life. We'll try to accommodate.
INT. STUDY - DAY
Working behind his computer, Peter looks out of the window.
PETER (V.O.)
What have I achieved in my
area of public practice?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)
To me, it was already an
achievement that I could
study at HKU. Those were
the days when few local
lawyers would work for
the Government. It created
an opportunity for me, as a
civil servant, for the legal
training.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd)
I knew I had to compete with
the cream of the crop. As I
couldn't afford to fail, I spent
my full four years just studying
law, either in the Law Library
or at home.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
On Aug 31, 1985, I became
a Barrister and an Assistant
Crown Counsel; in 1986,
Crown Counsel; and in 1988,
Senior Crown Counsel.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd)
Then I switched to legal
policy work, wanting to
create societal impact
rather than to have court
glamour.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
In 1991, I joined the newly
established Intellectual
Property Department. I
designed Hong Kong's
localized and modernized
intellectual property
system.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Yes, the testing Bill was
entitled: Layout-design
(Topography) of Integrated
Circuits. It was passed in
1994 without any query.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
But my Singaporean
counterparts asked me
many questions about
the policy considerations
of the law's provisions as
they wanted to enact the
same.
Pausing.
PETER(V.O.) (Cont'd)
In addition to other
interim legislative
amendments, my mission
was accomplished when
the Copyright Bill, the
Registered Designs Bill
and the Patents Bill were
all passed on the same
date ie 27 June, 1997,
preampting a legal laguna.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd)
Yes, the international
intellectual property
community also have
high regard of Hong
Kong's development.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd)
On behalf of Hong Kong,
China, I began from 1997
to make interventions in
WIPO Conferences and
General Assemblies in
Geneva, making Hong
Kong's presence felt.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd)
In 2004, I was appointed
by WTO's Director General
as a Panelist to settle two
disputes between US v
EC and Australia v EC -
the only Hong Kong lawyer
so far to have such privilege.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd)
I also assumed the
responsibilities to negotiate
the intellectual property
chapters of Hong Kong's first
Free-Trade Agreements
with a country ie New Zealand
and a customs union ie the
European Free Trade
Association.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Working with like-minded
visionaries, intellectual property
is linked with business and
trading in Hong Kong. And
now, I want to link it with finance.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Yes, I've played my role and
and achieved my goal to
make societal impact. I should
recognize my own shadow.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Having retired from my position
of authority, it's great to have
third-party endorsement of
what I've achieved. And I
should do the knowledge
transfer.
Peter finds an image from this phone.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
I still visit HKU Law Library
these days.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
In the brink of an eye, I've
become what I'm today. As
I can still travel, I had better
travel more.
Peter checks phone emails.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
My dinner order in that onsen
hotel in May has been confirmed.
Good, looking forward to that!
FADE OUT. The End