Police Service

Dr. Ma was a police officer in Hong Kong from 1974 to 1985, reaching the rank of Chief Inspector of Police. His last posting was Personal Assistant to the Commissioner of Police (1983 to 1985).

Legal Practice

Dr Ma had been a Crown Counsel, reaching the rank of Acting Assistant Principal Crown Counsel, from 1985 to 1992. In 1992, he was appointed as Senior Assistant Legal Adviser of the Legislative Council Secretariat, and then in 1996, as Legal Adviser and Counsel to the Legislature, a position that he held until 2015. He has been practising as a barrister at the Hong Kong Bar since July 2015.

Dr. Ma practises civil and criminal matters.  In addition to acting as an advocate in court, he advises corporate and individual clients on various legal issues, including those that relate to the Basic Law, and commercial and corporate matters.  He also provides legislative drafting services to statutory bodies and public companies.

Dr. Ma is active in arbitration and mediation.  He is the Honorary Treasurer of the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators and is listed on the panel of arbitrators of SCIA, CITEAC, HIAC and SCIA(HK).   He is Legal Advisor to Hong Kong Mediation Centre and he has conducted mediations that involve disputants in a non-litigious setting or as required by the Chief Justice’s Practice Direction 31.  He is a member of the Committee on ADR and Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce – Hong Kong, and he represents Hong Kong on the ICC Commission on ADR and Arbitration as a delegate from Hong Kong.

Public Appointments

Dr. Ma is a Chairman of the Buildings Appeal Tribunal and a Deputy Chairman of the Board of Review under the Inland Revenue Ordinance.

Awards

Dr. Ma was appointed Justice of the Peace in July 1998 and was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star in 2015. In 2017, he was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Hong Kong Translation Society.