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2026
Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law inspected a passing-out parade for 13 probationary inspectors and 131 recruit police constables at the Police College today, urging them to serve as the public's trusted guardians. Speaking at the ceremony, Miss Law highlighted that the country has officially entered a new phase under the National 15th Five-Year Plan this year, heralding unprecedented development opportunities for Hong Kong. She noted that Hong Kong serves as an important gateway for the nation's opening up. The city leverages the strong support of the motherland while maintaining close global connections under the "one country, two systems" principle. The city has been proactively aligning with the national development strategies and deepening its integration into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Miss Law emphasised that a safe, stable and lawful society forms the foundation of all development. Therefore, the Police Force’s role in steadfastly upholding the rule of law and maintaining social order remains of paramount importance. Having worked closely with the Police Force across various government roles over the years, Miss Law observed that Hong Kong faces both new opportunities and challenges amid a complex, changing geopolitical environment. Safeguarding national security, she added, must remain the top operational priority for the Police Force. She expressed her hope that police officers will consistently uphold professionalism, impartiality, empathy and the highest standards of integrity, regardless of shifts in the social climate. Miss Law urged the graduates to act strictly in accordance with the law, safeguard social order, and think from the citizens' perspectives. By devoting themselves to public well-being, she said they will provide a solid security guarantee for the smooth implementation of the National 15th Five-Year Plan in Hong Kong.
The Government today launched a one-month public consultation on proposals to improve the laws on sexual offences in Hong Kong, aiming to fortify safeguards for victims while ensuring the laws keep pace with changing times. The Government stated that it attaches great importance to the well-being of the general public, particularly children and persons with mental impairment (PMIs), and to shielding them against sexual exploitation and abuse. Currently, numerous sexual offences in Hong Kong are based on similar provisions instituted in English laws back in 1956. The Government said that as social perceptions related to sexual offences evolve over time, the existing provisions show inadequacies. It therefore considers it necessary to address shortcomings in these provisions. Over several years, the Law Reform Commission (LRC) undertook a review of sexual offences and published four consultation papers on specific aspects. These were followed by two reports containing a total of 72 final recommendations. The Government subsequently crafted a range of legislative amendment proposals based on the LRC's recommendations and with reference to the development of relevant laws in other major common law jurisdictions. These proposals cover non-consensual sexual offences involving children, sexual offences involving PMIs, miscellaneous sexual offences, and other related amendments, to strengthen protections for victims of sexual offences. Members of the public are invited to submit their views by August 5 via email, fax to 2524 3762, or mail to Security Bureau A Division, 8th Floor, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar. Click here for the consultation paper.
The Greater Bay Area Foreign-Related Adjudication Talent Training Course, jointly organised by the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy and the High People's Court of Guangdong Province, started today in Guangzhou. During the opening ceremony, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam highlighted that the course is tailored for judges from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and nearby provinces. The initiative follows collaborations between the academy and the Supreme People's Court and the Shanghai High People's Court. Mr Lam noted that the course aims to deepen judicial exchanges between Hong Kong and the Mainland, aligning with the National 15th Five-Year Plan’s goals to strengthen co-ordination in regional development and boost the GBA’s role as an engine for high-quality development. This effort contributes to the construction of a collaborative mechanism for cultivating foreign-related legal talent within the GBA. The training course focuses on Hong Kong's common law system and the practical application of guarantee law in foreign-related hearings through lectures and dialogues. To enhance participants' cross-boundary case capabilities, judges from Hong Kong's Court of First Instance of the High Court and senior legal professionals have been invited to deliver lectures. More than 100 senior judges specialising in foreign-related and bankruptcy adjudication from 68 courts across 32 cities in Guangdong Province and neighbouring areas, such as Guangxi, Hainan and Hunan are taking part in the three-day training course.
The Department of Justice today held a workshop to promote an online platform for sports dispute resolution. The event was co-staged with the administering body and technology provider of the Pilot Scheme on Sports Dispute Resolution, as well as the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China. More than 120 representatives from Hong Kong's sports and legal sectors, including individuals from 30 sports organisations, attended the “Efficient Resolution for All: Sports Dispute Resolution Workshop”. Deputy Secretary for Justice and Chairperson of the Advisory Committee on Sports Dispute Resolution Cheung Kwok-kwan also attended the event and gave welcome remarks. Mr Cheung outlined that with the rapid development of sports and related industries, differences of opinion and disputes are inevitable. However, to settle these by traditional methods, such as internal rulings or adjudication within national sports associations, or litigation in courts, often leads to more complex problems and imposes a burden on parties in terms of time, mental energy, and finance. Therefore, Mr Cheung said, establishing an efficient, professional, and credible sports dispute resolution system that handles sports disputes through a “mediation first, arbitration next” approach can resolve disputes more flexibly and effectively. He added that resolving disputes through arbitration can help the parties concerned avoid the lengthy legal procedures and substantial legal fees that result from litigation. Mr Cheung revealed that following the launch of the pilot scheme’s online platform in February, it has received a number of inquiries and has begun processing cases, with the first of these being successfully resolved recently. He emphasised that the scheme’s successful implementation confirms that Hong Kong is on the right track in promoting a sports dispute resolution system, and encouraged attendees of the workshop to engage with the pilot scheme and promote the long-term development of sports in the city. Through various activities, the workshop explored how, under the pilot scheme's framework, sports disputes can be efficiently resolved by way of mediation and arbitration. Attendees were introduced to simulated mediation procedures, as details of actual cases are typically confidential under regulations,. Expert speakers outlined the fundamental principles of mediation and arbitration, the workflow under the pilot scheme, the operational procedures of the online dispute resolution platform, and various case studies of disputes that have been successfully resolved. In a sharing session, a representative from a national sports association and an athlete discussed the possible challenges in resolving sports disputes, and elaborated on the specific benefits of adopting the pilot scheme's model.
The Security Bureau today launched an interactive drama titled Community Chef Challenge: Security Brings Prosperity at the East Kowloon Cultural Centre to mark the sixth anniversary of the National Security Law’s implementation. Speaking at the launch ceremony, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung emphasised that Hong Kong is an inalienable part of China. He stressed that safeguarding national security is both a constitutional duty of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and an obligation for every citizen. The production features national security comics characters Andy and Security Bear. It uses everyday examples to explain key national security concepts to the audience. Mr Tang pointed out that the format helps spectators, particularly young people, understand how every community member can contribute to national security. To highlight the theme that “security brings prosperity”, the drama introduces a new character to underscore the importance of a safe and secure home for everyone. The interactive drama runs today and tomorrow.