2007年是香港回归祖国的十周年。能为《中国法律》庆祝回归十周年的特刊撰文,笔者感到十分荣幸。以下是香港大律师制度的一个粗略简介及一些笔者的个人臆语。前言撇开个别法制的迴异,现今世界各地的法律服务行业大致可分类为两个模式,即“单一制”(unified profes-sion)及“分流制”(split profession)。在美国等采用单一制的国家,她们的法律服务行业并不分流。反之,在采用分流制的地方,她们的法律服务业大都分为律师及大律师两大支流,两者的工作性质亦不相同。大律师这行业源自英国,可说是英国的产品。这在十三世纪初期,大 2007 is the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland. I am honored to write a special issue of “Chinese Law” celebrating the tenth anniversary of the return. The following is a brief introduction to the barrister system in Hong Kong and some author’s personal conjectures. The preamble aside, the legal services sector around the world can be broadly classified into two models, namely “unified profes-sion” and “split profession”. In the United States and other countries that adopt a single system, their legal services industry does not diverge. On the other hand, where the diversion system is adopted, most of their legal services are divided into two major streams of lawyers and barristers, and the nature of their work is different. Barrister This industry originated in the United Kingdom, can be said that the British products. This was early in the thirteenth century