About the speaker

Philip Dykes was born in Warrington, Lancashire in 1953. He was educated at St. John Rigby Grammar School, Wigan and Lincoln College, Oxford University between 1972 and 1975 where he read English Language and Literature. He was called to the Bar in 1977 and practised on the Northern Circuit from the chambers of H.K. Goddard Q.C. in Manchester. He came to Hong Kong in 1985 and joined the Attorney General’s Chambers. Between 1989 and 1991 he was an Assistant Solicitor General with special responsibilities for human rights and constitutional affairs. He left government service in 1991 and joined the chambers of Denis Chang, S.C. He took silk in 1997. He has served in the Hong Kong Bar Council for a number of years and was elected Vice-Chairman in 1999, 2000, 2003 & 2004 and Chairman in 2005 and 2006. He ceased to be Chairman in January 2007.