Then there were three:: Mr Justice Ma's election as an Honorary Bencher of Gray's Inn in England is a recognition of the standing of the Hong Kong Judiciary and its judges, Chief Justice Andrew Li says.

Chief Judge of the High Court Justice Geoffrey Ma has been elected an Honorary Bencher of Gray's Inn in England.

Mr Justice Ma is the third person in Hong Kong conferred with such honour. The other two are the former Chief Justice Sir Ti-liang Yang  and Mr Justice Litton, formerly a Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal and now a Non-permanent Judge of the Court.

"I am extremely honoured by the appointment," Mr Justice Ma said.

Chief Justice Andrew Li was pleased to learn about the Then election. "Apart from being a personal honour for Mr Justice Ma, it is a recognition of the standing of the Hong Kong Judiciary and its judges," he said.

Mr Justice Ma was born in 1956 in Hong Kong. He obtained his degree of Bachelor of Laws at Birmingham University in 1977 and was called to the Bar of England and Wales the following year at Gray's Inn. 

He was called to the Bar in Hong Kong in 1980, the State of Victoria, Australia, in 1983 and Singapore in 1990.

Mr Justice Ma was in private practice in Hong Kong from 1980 and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1993. He was appointed a Recorder of the High Court in 2000, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court in 2001, Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court in 2002, and Chief Judge of the High Court in 2003.

Mr Justice Ma is married to Madam Justice Yuen, Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court. They have one daughter.