Maria graduated from the Law School of University of London and was called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn, London in 1972 and has been practicing in Hong Kong. In 1989, she was awarded an honorary doctorate in law by the Chinese University of Hong Kong and in 1992 she was a visiting scholar at Peking University. In November 2024, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Social Science degree by the Education University of Hong Kong.
She has served as a member of the Executive Council, Legislative Council, Urban Council and District Council; an adviser on Hong Kong affairs, a Member of the Basic Law Drafting Committee, a Member of the Preparatory Committee for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, a Deputy to the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China (9th to 12th plenary session) and a Member of the Basic Law Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Airport Authority Hong Kong and the Urban Renewal Authority, a Member of the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s Advisory Committee on Corruption and Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Review of Reports of Corruption, a Member of the Council of the University of Hong Kong and a Member of the Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee.
From 2018 to 2023, Maria served as the Deputy Director of the Hong Kong Basic Law Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. She mainly participated in Basic Law Committee meetings, promoted Basic Law work, and was invited to give speeches at schools and social groups. She is currently a member of several social service groups, and she accepts media interviews, writes articles, and attends lectures and seminars.