Gladys Veronica Li, Senior Counsel at the Hong Kong Bar with a busy constitutional law and human rights practice, is a founding member of the Hong Kong Civic Party

Civic Party

Civic Party is a liberal democratic political party in Hong Kong.The Civic Party is currently the third largest political party in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, with five members securing seats in the 2008 Hong Kong Legislative Council elections...

. She began to take an interest in public affairs on her return to Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

 in 1982, after 10 years' practice as a barrister

Barrister

A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...

 in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. She became a member of the lobby group which sought to inform British MPs in the late 1980s about lack of democracy

Democracy

Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...

, absence of human rights protections and the importance of the rule of law in Hong Kong. She was Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association

Hong Kong Bar Association

The Hong Kong Bar Association is the professional regulatory body for barristers in Hong Kong, and was founded in 1949. Like other professional bodies, the HKBA has the authority to take disciplinary action to the members who breach the Code of Conduct of the Association...

 in 1995 and 1996. Mild-mannered but forthright in her convictions, Ms Li has also been a member of the Article 23 Concern Group and the Article 45 Concern Group

Article 45 Concern Group

Basic Law Article 45 Concern Group is a pro-democracy political group in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. It was established on 14 November 2003 by legal practitioners and academics...

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In 2011 she represented Filipina domestic helper Evangeline Banao Vallejos in Vallejos v. Commissioner of Registration

Vallejos v. Commissioner of Registration

Vallejos v. Commissioner of Registration is a 2011 court case against the government of Hong Kong by a foreign domestic helper seeking permanent residence and the right of abode in Hong Kong. Because of its subject matter it was commonly referred to in the media as the "maids' residency case"...

. In the case, Vallejos was seeking permanent residency

Hong Kong residents

Hong Kong residents , also called Residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. According to Hong Kong Basic Law, Residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region include permanent residents and non-permanent residents...

 after working in Hong Kong for 25 years, in a contentious challenge to the Immigration Ordinance that stirred public discussion of human rights in Hong Kong

Human rights in Hong Kong

Human rights in Hong Kong occasionally comes under the spotlight of the international community because of its world city status. This is occasionally used as a yardstick by commentators to judge whether the People's Republic of China has kept its end of the bargain of the "One Country, Two...

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Family

Li's father is Simon Li Fook-sean, a former senior judge who is part of the Li family that owns the Bank of East Asia

Bank of East Asia

The Bank of East Asia Limited often abbreviated to BEA, is the largest independent local bank and the third largest bank in Hong Kong. Its chairman and chief executive is Sir David Li...

 and who stood as a candidate for Hong Kong Chief Executive

Chief Executive of Hong Kong

The Chief Executive of Hong Kong is the President of the Executive Council of Hong Kong and head of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The position was created to replace the Governor of Hong Kong, who was the head of the Hong Kong government during British rule...

 in the first CE election

Hong Kong Chief Executive election, 1996

The first ever Hong Kong chief executive election was held on 11 December 1996. Since Hong Kong was then a British colony, election for the first Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China was held by the People's Republic of China authorities...

in 1996.