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2026
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam and Supreme People's Court (SPC) Vice-president Mao Zhonghua yesterday signed a new arrangement to enhance the mutual service of judicial documents in civil and commercial proceedings between the Mainland and Hong Kong. The Arrangement on Mutual Service of Judicial Documents in Civil & Commercial Proceedings between the Mainland & the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region aims to promote the alignment of legal mechanisms and rules between the two jurisdictions. While a similar arrangement has been in place for 27 years, the volume of service requests has surged in recent years. However, the success rate under the existing system has remained relatively low. In response to demand from the legal sector and the public, the Department of Justice (DoJ), the Judiciary and the SPC finalised the enhanced mechanism following detailed discussions. The new arrangement introduces additional modes of service, offering greater flexibility and efficiency. These measures are designed to ensure the timely handling of cross-boundary cases and better protect the rights of parties in both places, reflecting the increasingly close judicial ties between the Mainland and Hong Kong. The DoJ will brief the Legislative Council Panel on Administration of Justice & Legal Services on details of the new arrangement on April 27. The new measures will come into effect once the necessary legislative procedures in Hong Kong are completed. The DoJ added that it will work closely with the Judiciary to implement the amendments as soon as practicable.
The independent committee in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po announced today that a fourth round of evidential hearings, in which oral evidence will be received from witnesses, will be held from May 6 to 8. Three days of hearings will be conducted, in Cantonese, from 10am to 1pm and from 2.15pm to 4.30pm each day at the Multi-purpose Hall, 3/F, City Gallery in Central. Simultaneous interpretation in Putonghua and English will be provided. A total of about 360 seats will be available for public observation. About half of these will be set aside for Wang Fuk Court residents on a priority basis. Those wishing to attend are required to pre-register online from 10am on April 23 to 10am on April 26. Successful registrants will receive a confirmation issued by the committee secretariat no later than April 30.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam called on the Supreme People's Court and central ministries respectively in Beijing for two consecutive days to discuss and exchange views on the progress and work of the key policy initiatives of the Department of Justice (DoJ). This morning, Mr Lam visited the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) Beijing Representative Office to learn about how the office assists the HKIAC in further developing the Mainland market following its establishment in Beijing. The opportunities brought about by the revised Arbitration Law of the People's Republic of China were also discussed. Mr Lam then went to the State-owned Assets Supervision & Administration Commission of the State Council to discuss opportunities for co-operation in areas such as capacity building programmes and talent training between the two sides. He also met Vice Minister of Justice Wu Zeng to discuss issues relating to legal matters concerning the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), including "allowing Hong Kong-invested enterprises to choose for arbitration to be seated in Hong Kong", the development of the GBA lawyers' scheme, and the co-operation between Mainland and Hong Kong law firms. At the start of his visit yesterday morning, Mr Lam called on the Supreme People's Court to meet President of the Supreme People's Court Zhang Jun. They discussed the mutual legal assistance arrangements and training for foreign-related legal talent between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Mainland. In the afternoon, Mr Lam called on the Ministry of Commerce where he introduced to Deputy China International Trade Representative Jiang Chenghua the DoJ's measures to strengthen Hong Kong's professional services sectors in supporting Mainland enterprises going global, and ways to encourage Mainland enterprises to adopt Hong Kong law as the applicable law while expanding overseas and to choose Hong Kong as the destination for dispute resolution. During the meeting with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Hua Chunying, both sides exchanged views on issues such as supporting the Hong Kong SAR and the DoJ in collaborating with international legal organisations and enhancing Hong Kong’s status as the centre for international legal and dispute resolution services.
Today was the second day of phased arrangements for residents of seven blocks of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po to return to their units. The Government said 275 people from 78 households turned up and the access arrangements were carried out in an orderly manner and operated smoothly. Ten middle-zone floors of Wang Sun House were opened today. Concluding the arrangements, the Government said a total of 271 people of 77 households registered to return to their units today through the "one social worker per household" service, while 275 people of 78 households actually turned up, including one household which reported sick and was absent yesterday. The average time residents spent entering and leaving the building today was one hour and 48 minutes, with the shortest time being 21 minutes and the longest three hours and 25 minutes. About 13% of the residents stayed in the building for less than one hour. A total of 34 people of 14 households went up and down the building more than once within three hours. Among them, 23 people of eight households made one additional trip, eight people of four households made two additional trips, while one person of one household made four additional trips, with the highest record of one person of one household making five additional trips and another making four additional trips. The integrated enquiry counter today received 11 cases of requesting police assistance and two cases involving residents seeking help due to physical discomfort, as well as two cases seeking psychological counselling services. The 11 cases of requesting police assistance involved suspected loss of property, including camera, jewellery and gold items. Officers were immediately deployed to assist in searches, and lost property was recovered in four cases. In another four, the units concerned were severely damaged and residents believed after investigation that the property might have been destroyed by fire. For the remaining three cases, there were no signs of ransacking in the units and the residents could not provide details on the property concerned. After reviewing the experience from the first day of arrangements, two adjustments have been made on site starting today. The first adjustment involved expanding the personal protective equipment donning area at Kwong Fuk Community Hall, adding more tables and chairs, and setting up more marquees for rain protection. The second adjustment involved adding more tables and chairs in the resident waiting area at Tai Po Baptist Public School, and expanding the on-site storage area to facilitate residents while they wait for transport. The Government outlined that it deploys over 1,000 personnel from various departments each day, including Police, the Civil Aid Service, the Fire Services Department, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department, the Housing Department, and the Housing Bureau, and staff mobilised from other departments, as well as District Services & Community Care Teams members to fully support residents returning to their units.
Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki today chaired a meeting of the interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements to co-ordinate preparations for visitors from the Mainland during the Labour Day Golden Week from May 1 to 5. Mr Chan stressed that the period is expected to see an increase in the number visitor arrivals. “The Government will make good preparations for receiving visitors, as well as maintaining close liaison with relevant organisations and the travel trade to prepare well for crowd management, information dissemination and arrangements of public transportation and boundary control points (BCPs), with a view to responding promptly to various kinds of emergencies and ensuring the smooth operation of various aspects in receiving visitors and offering them a high-quality experience,” he added. The Immigration Department (ImmD) has estimated that approximately 980,000 Mainland visitors will enter Hong Kong via sea, land and air control points during the five-day holiday. Meanwhile, the Travel Industry Authority and the trade expect about 770 inbound tour groups to visit the city during period. An interdepartmental joint command centre, comprising Police, the ImmD, the Customs & Excise Department and other relevant departments will be activated from May 1 to 5 to monitor real-time conditions at various control points. The centre will maintain close liaison with Mainland port authorities via established hotlines and notification mechanisms. This allows for timely contingency actions and the flexible deployment of manpower at BCPs. Additionally, the Security Bureau will activate its Emergency Monitoring & Support Centre during the period to oversee public order at BCPs and coordinate interdepartmental follow-up actions. Regarding public transport, the MTR Corporation will enhance East Rail Line services at various times from April 30 to May 5 to accommodate residents and visitors. During peak hours, the frequency of shuttle buses for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) and Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang route will be increased to approximately one minute and two minutes respectively. The Transport Department has also developed contingency plans with border control authorities to implement traffic management measures at the HZMB, Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang and Shenzhen Bay ports. These measures include providing dedicated lanes for public transport vehicles to ensure uninterrupted service. To manage the anticipated surge of visitors to Sai Kung East Country Park, Police will deploy uniformed officers at strategic locations – including Pak Tam Chung, Sai Kung Man Yee Road and the High Island Reservoir East Dam – for traffic and crowd management during peak periods. The Transport Department has co-ordinated with the green minibus operator to enhance service on Route No. 9A, from Pak Tam Chung to East Dam. Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung and Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law also attended.
To promote National Security Education Day, the Auxiliary Medical Service (AMS) held an open day at its headquarters in Ho Man Tin today. The event aimed to enable members of the public to learn about the work of the AMS in safeguarding national security, to enhance public awareness of national security and to further deepen their understanding of its daily operations. Addressing the opening ceremony, Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui said that safeguarding national security is the common responsibility of all. He highlighted that national security is not confined to a single area, but is closely linked to finance, public health, and everyday community life. Among the 20 major fields of national security, biosecurity is closely related to the work of the AMS. The AMS’ services include non-emergency ambulance transfer services, first aid coverage during large-scale public events, as well as duty at country parks and cycling tracks. Mr Hui said the AMS spares no effort in safeguarding the safety and health of the general public and thanked its members for their unwavering dedication and commitment to protecting the public. The open day featured national security-themed game booths, first aid demonstrations, band foot drills, medical and health seminars, health screenings, as well as displays of ambulances and first aid bicycles.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam will depart for Beijing tomorrow to attend meetings with various central ministries and authorities to discuss the work of the Department of Justice. He will be accompanied on the visit by Director of Public Prosecutions Maggie Yang, Law Officer (International Law) James Ding, Solicitor General Llewellyn Mui, Law Officer (Civil Law) Clifford Tavares, and government counsel from various legal divisions. Mr Lam will return to Hong Kong on April 24. During his absence, Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan will be the Acting Secretary.
To support National Security Education Day, the Immigration Service Institute of Training & Development (ISITD) and the Hong Kong Customs College held open days today. The ISITD’s open day aimed to showcase the Immigration Department's (ImmD) unwavering commitment to fending off national security risks and firmly guarding the country's southern gateway, raise public awareness of national security, and strengthen public sense of national identity. Thematic exhibitions and interactive booths were set up to introduce the public to the technologies used by the ImmD in areas such as the detection of forged documents, counter-terrorism operations, management of detention centres and tactical equipment. The ISITD also opened training facilities, including the mock immigration clearance hall and the mock courtroom for members of the public to gain a deeper understanding of the ImmD's work in safeguarding national security. It has drawn the participation of over 2,500 citizens. Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki attended the open day and toured the exhibition booths and interacted with the public. He also encouraged members of the Immigration Service to continue to uphold their mission and remain steadfast in safeguarding national security. As for the Hong Kong Customs College Open Day, apart from members of the public, dignitaries of the community, youth groups and more than 2,000 students from 82 schools were also invited. More than 7,000 admission tickets were distributed. Visitors enjoyed not only performances by the Customs Detector Dog Team, the Customs Pop Band and the Dragon and Lion Dance Team, but also the display of firearms and weapons, as well as an exhibition of customs clearance equipment. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam also attended the event.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government tonight said it strongly disapproves of and refutes untruthful remarks, slanders and smears against various aspects of the Hong Kong SAR contained in the US’ “2026 Hong Kong Policy Act Report”. In a statement, the Hong Kong SAR Government demanded that the US immediately stop acting against international law and the basic norms of international relations by interfering in Hong Kong matters, which it said are purely China’s internal affairs. It iterated that the Hong Kong SAR is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China, and that as a local administrative region that enjoys a high degree of autonomy under the principle of “one country, two systems”, it comes directly under the jurisdiction of the Central People’s Government. The statement said the US report repeated fallacies about Hong Kong with a political purpose – that of maintaining US hegemony – and confounded right and wrong, but that such attempts by the US to undermine the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong exposed its slyness and will not succeed. With regard to safeguarding rights and freedoms, the Hong Kong SAR Government said that since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, human rights in the city have been robustly guaranteed by both the Constitution and the Basic Law. It added that since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL) and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO), the media landscape in Hong Kong has remained vibrant, while the media environment in the US is becoming increasingly severe. It highlighted that, according to statistics, US law enforcement authorities arrested more than 30 journalists in 2025 alone, while there were more than 170 cases of violence against journalists, including instances of them being forcibly pinned to the ground, beaten them with batons, and even shot, with 90% of such incidents involving law enforcement officers. It is commonplace, the Hong Kong SAR Government said, for US officials to ban certain media outlets from attending press conferences or verbally abuse reporters who ask questions, while they have even threatened to prosecute media outlets for treason. US fabrication of facts about freedom of speech in Hong Kong is therefore utterly shameless, it added. The Hong Kong SAR Government remarked that it strongly opposes absurd and false claims regarding its efforts to safeguard national security. It said the US Government had vilified the Hong Kong SAR's legislative work, as well as the city's law enforcement agencies, and its prosecutorial and judicial authorities, in claiming that fulfilment of their duties constituted a systemic “degradation” or “impediment” of rights and freedoms. It said that the US routinely ignores the non-interference principle under international law, wantonly and arbitrarily interfering with other countries' internal affairs, grooming agents, instigating “colour revolutions”, and even creating social unrest and humanitarian disasters through acts of economic and military coercion, thereby causing suffering to innocent civilians in many countries. The Hong Kong SAR Government said it must perform its constitutional duty to continue to improve the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security. It emphasised that the report entirely disregards this constitutional duty and the practical needs of the Hong Kong SAR to enact legislation, and overlooks the circumstances stipulated for the exercise of relevant powers as laid out in the Safeguarding National Security (Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Regulation. It said the US deliberately turns a blind eye to the positive effects brought by the implementation of relevant laws on economic development and the protection of human rights, demonstrating hypocrisy and a “my-way-or-the-highway” hegemonic logic. In relation to November's fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, the Hong Kong SAR Government said it firmly rejected the report's malicious attacks on the city's law enforcement actions and attempts to sow discord. It condemned any attempts to use the disaster to stir up chaos in society and disregard the rescue operations and support work enacted by the Hong Kong SAR Government and all sectors of the community. Regarding those arrested over alleged seditious speech, it added that criminal acts exploiting the fire cannot be tolerated and must be handled in accordance with the law. In respect of a case that involved the offence of “dealing with funds or financial assets or economic resources belonging to, or owned or controlled by, a relevant absconder”, the statement stressed that the court in question made clear that the defendant's conviction and sentencing followed a fair trial in which he was found to have dealt with funds belonging to an absconder in contravention of the SNSO. It said this was totally unrelated to whether the defendant was a relative of the absconder, and highlighted that the defendant has withdrawn an appeal. The statement also highlighted that in handling cases concerning offences endangering national security the Hong Kong SAR Government applies the Implementation Rules for Article 43 of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Chief Executive, in conjunction with the National Security Committee, recently introduced the 2026 Implementation Rules for Amending the Implementation Rules for Article 43 of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The statement outlined that the 2026 implementation rules enhance measures that the Hong Kong SAR's law enforcement authorities may take, while clarifying relevant legal procedures and technical arrangements, so as to strengthen the enforcement powers of law enforcement authorities, allowing them to prevent and investigate cases more effectively, thereby mitigating risks to national security. The Hong Kong SAR Government reiterated that it steadfastly safeguards national sovereignty, security and development interests, and will resolutely, fully and faithfully continue to implement the HKNSL, the SNSO and other relevant laws so as to prevent, suppress and impose punishment against acts and activities endangering national security in accordance with the law. At the same time, it will safeguard the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong people, ensuring the steadfast and successful implementation of “one country, two systems”.
The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) today, in collaboration with INTERPOL and police forces from other jurisdictions, a cybersecurity agency and operators of critical infrastructures, conducted the Counter Cyber & Physical Terrorism Joint Exercise 2026 to enhance counter-terrorism preparedness across various sectors, and strengthen preparedness for potential terrorist activities and future large-scale international events. The exercise was co-ordinated by the HKPF's Crime Wing and Operations Wing, with the participation of INTERPOL, the Macao Judiciary Police, the Singapore Police Force, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore and the Korean National Police Agency. More than 380 participants, including representatives from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, a local bank and the Macau branch of a bank, took part in the exercise. Commissioner of Police Chow Yat-ming attended and oversaw the exercise. The exercise first simulated a terrorist financing scenario, showcasing the close collaboration between the enforcement agencies, financial regulatory and operating institutions. Subsequently, a cross-boundary terrorist cell launched cyber and physical attacks against the financial, aviation and healthcare systems across Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Korea in an attempt to paralyse essential public services. The scenarios involved terrorists placing explosive devices and deploying drones at major event venues intended to create chaos. These simulations were designed to test and strengthen the capabilities of relevant organisations and units in intelligence sharing, co-ordinated rapid response, and joint operations under high pressure situations in addressing emerging hybrid terrorist threats. The exercise also strengthened collaboration between law enforcement agencies and operators of critical infrastructures, including financial institutions, to bolster overall defense and response capabilities. The exercise also invited a cybersecurity company to be a member of the Cybersecurity Task Force to conduct intelligence analysis, as well as to provide professional advice and assessments on neutralising cyber threats and malware attacks. The exercise not only enhanced the co-ordination capabilities of the participating law enforcement agencies in responding to hybrid terrorist threats, but also strengthened regional counter-terrorism co-operation, safeguarding public safety and social stability.