British lawyer Michael Vidler has been awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) honour for “services to Justice and to Human Rights in Hong Kong.”
Vidler left Hong Kong in April 2022 after 30 years, citing concerns over the Beijing-imposed security law, and “unfounded allegations” by the city’s state-controlled press.
The UK’s annual honours list was unveiled by London last Saturday.
“I am honoured to have been awarded this OBE,” Vidler told HKFP on Wednesday. “This is recognition of the courage of my clients who came forward to stand up for their rights and strive for a more inclusive society. It is also recognition of the dedication and hard work of my talented team at Vidler & Co and the formidable counsel who worked with me over the years to fight for human rights and justice in Hong Kong.”
LGBT+ and pro-democracy causes
As one of the go-to lawyers for equal rights cases since the early 2000s, Vidler fought for minority groups – most notably the LGBT community – at a time when the topic itself was still taboo. He was also engaged by a number of high-profile pro-democracy activists, such as Joshua Wong.
“I set up my firm with a specific focus to give voice to the ‘little guy,’ to give people rights, [to give] an ordinary person in Hong Kong access to justice,” Vidler told HKFP in 2022. “This has been my home. Hong Kong was my home… This isn’t how I expected to end my firm or my time in Hong Kong.”
Vidler’s untimely departure came amid a sweeping crackdown that has seen hundreds of activists arrested under the security law or other legislation and over 60 civil society groups disband. Several news outlets have shuttered and most opposition politicians are behind bars or in self-exile. The authorities say the security law has returned prosperity and stability to the city following months of protests and unrest in 2019.
He left weeks after two British judges resigned from the city’s highest court, citing security law concerns, and less than two months after the ex-chief of the Bar Association Paul Harris, who was also British, left after being summoned by police.
Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis, actress Emilia Clarke, and best-selling writer Jilly Cooper were among others on the New Year’s honours list.
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