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2026
Jointly organised by the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy and the Ministry of Commerce, the inaugural Training Course on International Trade and International Investment Legal Practice commenced today. The course aims to enhance capacity in "foreign-related rule of law". Addressing its opening ceremony, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam said that Hong Kong, as an international centre for finance, trade and professional services, has long maintained close trade and export ties with the Mainland and markets around the world. He said the course will allow participants to strengthen their capabilities in tackling emerging risks and challenges, acquaint themselves with fast-moving policies and market developments, engage in exchanges with international counterparts, work to safeguard the interests of economies, and seize opportunities in an increasingly complex global landscape. Participants on the course include 20 senior experts from the Ministry of Commerce specialising in international negotiations and policy formulation, as well as dozens of other officials from the Mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The five-day programme covers topics such as the evolving geopolitical landscape for international trade, including export controls and sanctions regimes; emerging trade policy instruments; dispute resolution; technological developments; and legal issues arising from Chinese enterprises "going global". Speakers include Deputy Secretary-General of the World Bank's International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes Gabriela Alvarez Avila; a professor specialising in international relations; practitioners from law firms, an accounting firm and an advisory firm; representatives of the Department of Justice and arbitral institutions; a member of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Expert Committee; and representatives from the Trade & Industry Department and the Financial Services Development Council.
The Police Force’s National Security Department arrested three people two days ago on suspicion of committing seditious acts. Police noticed that some people had been standing outside the MTR Prince Edward Station holding bouquets and shouting seditious slogans on the evening of August 31. The arrestees include two local men and one local woman, aged between 33 and 79. They are suspected of spreading false information and attacking the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government with lies, as well as smearing the Police Force, with the intention of inciting hatred against the Hong Kong SAR Government and law enforcement agencies. Police arrested them for the offence of "doing an act that has a seditious intention with a seditious intention", contravening the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. All arrestees have been detained for further enquiries. Police stressed that the "831 incident" has been proven to be without factual basis, pointing out that it is a lie manipulated by people with ulterior motives to spread lies, attack the Hong Kong SAR Government and smear the Police Force, attempting to achieve their political objectives by endangering public peace. They highlighted that the acts concerned are suspected of breaching "doing an act that has a seditious intention with a seditious intention", which is a serious crime. Offenders shall be liable to imprisonment for seven years on first conviction.
The Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Bureau is inviting a new round of applications under the Constitution & Basic Law Promotion Activity & Research Sponsorship Scheme. The scheme aims to strengthen public comprehension and support for the Constitution, the Basic Law, the National Security Law, and the “one country, two systems” principle. With the 30th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland approaching in 2027, priority will be given to proposals for innovative, large-scale educational activities themed around the milestone anniversary. The deadline for applications is November 13. Click here for details or call 2810 2106 for enquiries.
The Department of Justice (DoJ) welcomed the passage of amendments to the Lawyers Law of the People's Republic of China by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) yesterday. The amendments will take effect from Tuesday. Article 62 of the amended Lawyers Law states that Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Macao SAR legal practitioners who pass the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Legal Professional Examination, administered by the judicial administration department of the State Council, and who obtain a Mainland practice qualification, can practise in stipulated areas of law in the Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing municipalities of Guangdong. The State Council's judicial administration department also laid out enrolment requirements for the examination, application procedures for lawyers to practise, and the scope of practice allowed. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam stated that the amended Lawyers Law makes clear provision for the GBA lawyers' scheme, thus providing a legal basis for the regularisation of the practice regime. “I warmly welcome the amendments and express my sincere gratitude to authorities such as the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) for their strong support to the development of the GBA lawyers' scheme. Since the NPCSC's authorisation of the State Council to conduct a pilot scheme for GBA lawyers, the professional team of GBA lawyers has been growing continuously, contributing efforts to the country's building of the rule of law. “The National 15th Five-Year Plan Outline calls for deepening the construction of the GBA and accelerating the development of an international first-class bay area. GBA lawyers with dual practice qualifications can facilitate the interfaces of mechanisms and regulatory frameworks in the GBA, as well as proactively integrating into and contributing to the overall national development.” The NPCSC decided in August 2020 to authorise the State Council to conduct a pilot scheme for a period of three years. The pilot period would have originally expired in October 2023 but was extended in August 2023 until October 4 of this year. By June of this year, over 650 Hong Kong and Macau lawyers had obtained the Lawyer's License (GBA) and could provide legal services in the GBA's nine Mainland municipalities on specified civil and commercial matters in which Mainland laws apply. GBA lawyers currently appear in court as litigation representatives in the GBA's nine Mainland municipalities and take up GBA arbitration cases. The DoJ will continue to maintain close contact with authorities such as the MoJ and Guangdong's Department of Justice, in order to support and complement work to regularise the GBA lawyers' scheme.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today conducted a second cross-boundary stress test at the Huanggang Port in collaboration with relevant Shenzhen units, with over 20,000 civil servants participating. The drill focused on testing peak carrying capacity by further increasing passenger and vehicular flows. It marked the first test of joint one-stop vehicle lanes for vehicle clearance. Automobile associations, other associations, and chambers of commerce were invited to assist in recruiting private vehicles permitted to travel between the two places. The vehicles participated in cyclical trials, with more than 1,000 vehicle trips being made to test the operation of the lane systems and vehicular flow management. Participating vehicles were instructed to enter the port through the new connecting road in batches. They underwent risk assessment at the customs front kiosk, then entered the joint one-stop vehicle lanes for five-party inspection, completing clearance procedures for the Shenzhen General Station of Exit & Entry Frontier Inspection and Shenzhen Customs, as well as Hong Kong's Customs & Excise Department, Department of Health and Immigration Department. This was carried out using integrated information collection devices next to the lanes, and involved the collection of body temperature and travel document data, as well as facial features and fingerprints. The drill also simulated scenarios such as passengers disembarking and proceeding to the immigration clearance hall, as well as vehicles being selected at the customs front kiosks to proceed to the inspection area for inspections. Vehicles participating in the drill first departed and then returned to the Hong Kong Port Area via the Shenzhen side's vehicle clearance level. To assess the port's capacity under sustained ultra-high passenger flows, over 20,000 civil servants from more than 70 bureaus and departments were mobilised. Participants were instructed to take various public transport options to arrive at the port. They passed through the collaborative inspection automated channels or manual counters to depart from the Hong Kong Port Area. After returning from the Shenzhen side, they left the port by taking vehicles dispatched by public transport operators, undergoing cyclical trials involving more than 600 departures. The stress test also advanced the "crowd concentrated-flow test" by releasing large batches of people several times within a short period of time to create greater crowd pressure. This simulated a situation where a large number of passengers arrive in Hong Kong via the Huanggang Port during peak hours and take different public transport options, including franchised buses, minibuses, cross-boundary coaches, and taxis, at the public transport interchange. The Fire Services Department also conducted a fire drill, simulating an electric vehicle catching fire. Personnel from the Huanggang Fire Station fought the fire with water jets and used specialised equipment such as high-pressure fog applicators and fire blankets to extinguish the blaze. Ambulance personnel were also on-site to treat the injured. Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung inspected the drill on-site and held a meeting with participating departments immediately afterwards to review procedures and participants' feedback. Meetings will be arranged between the relevant Hong Kong and Shenzhen units to review and identify areas for improvement in the management of passenger and vehicular traffic, emergency response arrangements and collaborative mechanisms, in order to ensure the port's safe and smooth operation and a positive passenger experience. To support travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland for Hong Kong residents, both places will implement an arrangement allowing Hong Kong residents who hold both Mainland Travel Permits for Hong Kong and Macau Residents, commonly known as the Home Visit Permit, and a Hong Kong identity card, to choose to use either their identity card or Home Visit Permit at the first gate in the collaborative inspection automated channels, in order to complete immigration clearance procedures for both Hong Kong and Shenzhen, regardless of whether they are travelling northbound or southbound. Representatives from various bureaus, departments and organisations participated in the drill, including the Security Bureau, the Transport & Logistics Bureau, the Civil Service Bureau, the Police Force, the Transport Department, the Highways Department, the Immigration Department, the Customs & Excise Department, the Department of Health, the Fire Services Department, the Architectural Services Department, the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, the Government Property Agency, the Digital Policy Office, the Office of the Communications Authority, the Food& Environmental Hygiene Department, the Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department, the Civil Aid Service, and the Auxiliary Medical Service. Various public transport operators also participated.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam led a cross-professional delegation comprising members of Hong Kong's legal and dispute resolution sectors, as well as the financial and accounting sectors, as they continued their visit to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, today, deepening legal co-operation between the two places. This morning, Mr Lam met Minister of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan Akbar Djurabayevich Tashkulov. Mr Lam explained how Hong Kong's advantages of being connected to the Chinese Mainland and the world, as well as its common law system, can assist Uzbek enterprises in expanding into Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and international markets. A memorandum of understanding was signed by the two sides to enhance collaboration between Uzbekistan's Ministry of Justice and the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. This will include exchanges on legal frameworks and policies regarding dispute resolution, as well as sharing of experiences in the application of AI technology in the legal sector. Mr Lam then attended a lunch hosted by the Uzbek Ministry of Justice. In the afternoon, Mr Lam visited the Center for Islamic Civilization to learn about local efforts in cultural preservation, academic research and education promotion. On Thursday morning, Mr Lam and the delegation visited the Tashkent State University of Law and met its senior management to discuss legal talent training and exchanges. Mr Lam then attended a lunch with Mayor of Tashkent City Umurzakov Shavkat Buranovich to introduce Hong Kong's distinctive institutional advantages under the “one country, two systems” principle and explore opportunities for co-operation. In the afternoon, Mr Lam and the delegation met representatives from the Uzbek Chamber of Commerce for Chinese Entrepreneurs and the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Uzbekistan. Director of the Tashkent International Arbitration Centre Diana Bayzakova Hamwi also attended the meeting. Mr Lam introduced Hong Kong's unique advantages and learned about their specific demands for legal services. They also jointly explored ways to strengthen co-operation between the two places to support enterprises in leveraging Hong Kong's professional services to expand into international markets. Mr Lam and the delegation visited the Ministry of Economy & Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan to meet Deputy Minister Abidkhadjaev Umid Kutpitdinovich and Advisor to the Minister Jasur Karshibaev yesterday. They also visited the Ministry of Investment, Industry & Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan to meet Deputy Minister Kasimov Ilzat Ablakhatovich. Mr Lam and the delegation shared Hong Kong's professional experiences in areas such as investment, cross-border trade, commercial and dispute resolution under the common law system, and explored how Hong Kong might help advance the development of the Tashkent International Financial Centre. In the afternoon, Mr Lam and the delegation visited and had a lunch with the Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Uzbekistan Yu Jun. They exchanged views on topics including consolidating Hong Kong's role as an international legal hub and strengthening co-operation with international legal and dispute resolution institutions. Mr Lam then met Chairman of the Chamber of Advocates of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shukhrat Shavkatovich Sadikov to discuss ways to deepen exchanges and collaboration between legal professionals in the two places. In the evening, Mr Lam attended a Uzbekistan Independence Day celebration activity. Mr Lam concluded his visit today and will return to Hong Kong tomorrow.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam today continued leading a cross-professional delegation in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to promote Hong Kong’s legal, dispute resolution, financial and accounting services. Addressing the opening of the Collaborate2Win seminar, Mr Lam highlighted Hong Kong’s role as a leading common law jurisdiction that provides reliable, top-quality international legal services. He emphasised that the city has made tremendous efforts to leverage its common law advantages to maintain and promote Hong Kong's status as an international financial centre. Given its unique status as a premier financial hub, Mr Lam added that Hong Kong can serve as an important and indispensable partner for Kazakhstan. Co-organised by the Department of Justice and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the seminar attracted more than 160 representatives from local legal and business sectors. Upon arriving in Almaty yesterday, the delegation met with the representative of a local Mainland law firm to better understand the latest developments in the local legal services sector. They also met representatives from Shaanxi’s chamber of commerce in Kazakhstan to learn about the current operations of Mainland enterprises in the country. The delegation used the opportunity to promote Hong Kong's professional services, encouraging both Mainland and Kazakh enterprises to leverage Hong Kong as a major gateway for venturing into international markets. The delegation will depart for Uzbekistan this afternoon to continue the visit.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today strongly condemned and opposed baseless slanders and smears against Hong Kong by Western countries, anti-China media, organisations and politicians regarding yesterday's court verdict on the "Hong Kong Alliance" incitement to subversion case. The Hong Kong SAR Government pointed out that the constitution forms the foundation of Hong Kong’s constitutional order. Under the Preamble to the Constitution, the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is the core and foundation of the constitutional order of the People's Republic of China (PRC). No country allows citizens to subvert its constitutionally established order. The Hong Kong SAR Government stressed that the court’s verdict clearly emphasised that the defendants were tried based strictly on law and evidence, not for their political views. The court noted that the defendants remained hostile toward the CPC and the central government. Following the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL), they refused to back down and pursued the Alliance's resistance line. The defendants ignored the fact that their actions exceeded lawful boundaries of free speech. The courts earlier clarified the boundaries of exercising freedoms and rights. The Court of Appeal's judgment in another case affirmed that criticising the Government, the administration of justice including judgments of courts, or engaging in debates about or raising objections to government policies or decisions, however strong, vigorous or critical that may be, does not constitute a seditious intention. The crucial issue is whether there is intent to incite hatred or subversion. In this case, the defendants intended to undermine the fundamental system of the PRC by stirring up hostility against the CPC and causing division. The conspiracy was clear and required judicial action. The Hong Kong SAR Government added that many rights and freedoms are not absolute. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights allows legal restrictions on free speech to protect national security, public safety and public order. The public must distinguish between this subversion case and the lawful exercise of the freedoms of association, assembly and speech. Hong Kong is a society ruled by law. The HKNSL and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance guarantee the principle of the rule of law. Defendants receive a fair trial by an independent judiciary, as guaranteed by the Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights. The court’s well-reasoned verdict meticulously detailed the legal principles and evidence supporting the conviction. The Hong Kong SAR Government reiterated that safeguarding national sovereignty, unity and the territorial integrity of the PRC is the common duty of all Chinese citizens, including Hong Kong compatriots. Hong Kong residents must clearly recognise that incitement to subversion is a severe offence, and the Government will resolutely combat acts and activities endangering national security.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam will lead a 40-member cross-professional delegation to Xinjiang, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan tomorrow to strengthen legal and professional service co-operation. Co-organised with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the visit aims to promote Hong Kong's roles as a bridge between the Chinese Mainland and the global market, showcasing its professional services. The delegation includes Commissioner for Belt & Road Nicholas Ho, alongside representatives from the HKTDC, Invest Hong Kong, the Financial Services Development Council, the Law Society of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, and local and international law firms. Financial and accounting professionals are also part of the group. In Urumqi, Xinjiang, on August 24, Mr Lam will attend the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Common Law and Dispute Resolution Practical Training Course, organised by the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy. He will also meet local officials. The delegation will then visit Almaty, Kazakhstan, from August 25 to 26 to attend the “Collaborate2Win” seminar, co-organised by the HKTDC and the Department of Justice, to network with local legal and business representatives. Afterwards, the delegation will depart for Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to meet local officials and study the development of the local legal services industry. Mr Lam will return to Hong Kong on August 30. Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan will be Acting Secretary for Justice during his absence.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today conducted the first stress test of passenger and vehicular flows with Shenzhen authorities at the Huanggang Port. More than 10,000 civil servants participated in the exercise. They took various modes of public transport to the port and practised immigration procedures before departure. Cyclical trials involving more than 400 departures using vehicles dispatched by public transport operators simulated the flow of people and vehicles arriving and departing from the port. The drill marked the first trial of the “collaborative inspection” automated channels for passenger clearance. Participants departed through the automated channels or manual counters at the departure hall. The stress test also included a “crowd concentrated-flow test”. Participants were held on designated floors and released in several major batches within a short period. This simulated peak-hour conditions where a large number of arriving passengers proceed to the public transport interchange simultaneously. Meanwhile, the drill conducted a vehicle-flow stress test involving nearly 1,000 vehicle trips on the joint one-stop vehicle lane level. Participating vehicles entered the port through the new connecting road in batches. The drill simulated the risk assessment process by the Customs & Excise Department, queuing for joint one-stop vehicle lanes for inspection and clearance or routing to the inspection area for further checks. Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki, alongside Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung and Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan, inspected the drill. Mr Chan said the drill was conducted smoothly, with a large number of passengers and vehicles entering and leaving the port building in an orderly manner and a public transport interchange capable of absorbing substantial passenger flows within a short period of time. He noted that the Hong Kong SAR Government will work closely with the Shenzhen side to press ahead with various preparatory tasks at full steam. Once both sides confirm the port is ready for safe and smooth operation, the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong will finalise and announce the official opening date of the Huanggang Port. Representatives from various bureaus, departments and organisations participated in the drill, including the Security Bureau, the Transport & Logistics Bureau, the Civil Service Bureau, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Transport Department, the Highways Department, the Immigration Department, the Hong Kong Customs & Excise Department, the Department of Health and the Fire Services Department. Also participating were the Architectural Services Department, the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, the Government Property Agency, the Digital Policy Office, the Office of the Communications Authority, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department, the Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department, the Civil Aid Service, the Auxiliary Medical Service and various public transport operators.