All lawyers should protect Hong Kong’s rule of law from those seeking to undermine it, Chief Justice Andrew Cheung said on Saturday.

He also said it is the duty of lawyers, especially senior counsel, to speak out and defend the city’s legal system.

At a ceremony to admit four new senior counsel, Cheung urged legal professionals to stand up to any attempts to interfere with the work of the judges.

The top judge said that under "One Country, Two Systems", Hong Kong has maintained its common law traditions such as the inner bar, adding that the split between the bar and solicitors ensures that clients can benefit from independent legal advice and representation.

At the same ceremony, justice secretary Paul Lam said not all people wished to see "the continuous success" of Hong Kong's legal system.

He appealed to legal professionals to speak up, and that words coming from senior counsel would be "particularly weighty and reassuring".

"It is important to ensure that people will not be misled or lose confidence in our legal and judicial system," Lam said. "It is equally important to show to our enemies our solidarity, resilience, and determination to rise to challenges, and that we will not be deterred."

Criminal barrister Bruce Tse, one of the four newly appointed senior counsel, told reporters after the ceremony that the legal community always has a duty to speak up.

The others admitted were Anthony Chan, Mike Lui, and Christopher Chain, all of whom specialise in civil matters.