Registrars are judicial officers appointed by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong to assist in the work of Hong Kong's various courts, including the Court of Final Appeal, the High Court, and the District Court. Registrars may also hold a concurrent judicial role, such as being a judge, in a lower court.
The title of Registrar-General was also previously in use in the executive branch until 1993, as the name of the government official in charge of the registries for lands, companies, marriages, bankruptcies, and more. Before the creation of the post in 1949, some of these duties were carried out by the registrar of the Supreme Court. The head of each registry is today known as a registrar.
The Registrar will consider each leave application (applying to appear in front of the Court of Final Appeal) has any reasonable grounds for arguing an appeal. If an appeal is considered arguable, it will appear before an Appeal Committee, who will then make a final decision. If the Registrar determines there is no grounds for an appeal, a "Rule 7 Summons" will be issued, in which the applicant is invited to show on paper why the Appeals Committee should hear their appeal.
The Registrar also helps with listing cases and liaising with the non-permanent judges from both Hong Kong and other common law jurisdictions on sitting in appeal cases.
The registrar of the High Court is the head of the High Court Registry and is supported by three senior deputy registrars and five deputy registrars. Known as the registrar of the Supreme Court before 1 July 1997, the registrar was head of the judiciary's administration until the creation of the position of Judiciary Administrator in 1994.
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, the Registrar of the Supreme Court also carried out the duties of the Lands Officer and Companies Registrar, among others.
The registrar of the Supreme Court was known as the ç¶Âæ·å¸ in Chinese until the 1980s.