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2026
The Department of Justice today held the Rule of Law Education (ROLE) Ambassador award ceremony and sharing session under the ROLE Stars Train-the-Leaders (TTL) Programme, conferring the title of ROLE Ambassador to 40 trainees. Delivering his opening remarks, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam said that today marked an important milestone of the TTL Programme, as the 40 ambassadors are the first batch of trainees who completed all the training courses under the TTL Programme since it was launched in November 2023. Mr Lam emphasised that the key to maintaining Hong Kong’s sound rule of law environment is to cultivate public understanding of the principles of the rule of law and to enhance the public’s basic understanding of the city’s common law system. He encouraged the ambassadors to become dedicated advocates for promoting the rule of law in Hong Kong by passing on the knowledge and experience they gained from the TTL Programme in ways that are appropriate to their respective capacities and positions. At the event, four trainees shared their thoughts and experience of becoming ROLE Ambassadors. They said the courses had deepened their knowledge of the rule of law and boosted their confidence in disseminating such messages. They added that they had concrete plans to promote correct information about the rule of law and cultivate the spirit of respecting the rule of law in schools and the community. Mr Lam, Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung, Chairperson of SideBySide Executive Committee Poon Siu-tung and Under Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Clarence Leung presented the certificates and badges of ROLE Ambassadors to commend the trainees’ completion of all the courses under the TTL Programme and their efforts in promoting the rule of law in the community. The qualification of ROLE Ambassador is valid for two years, which aims to encourage ambassadors to continue to participate in the Department of Justice’s rule of law education activities and to actively organise rule of law promotion activities during the period in order to obtain a renewal. As at end-2025, a total of about 380 trainees participated in the TTL Programme, among which 40 have been qualified as the first batch of ROLE Ambassadors under the TTL Programme.
The Government announced today that $6.15 million will be granted to the family of Senior Fireman (Posthumous) Ho Wai-ho under the “Financial Assistance Scheme for Family Members of Those Who Sacrifice Their Lives to Save Others”. The late fireman sacrificed his life on November 26 last year while participating in a search and rescue operation at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun, who chairs the “Committee on Financial Assistance Scheme for Family Members of Those Who Sacrifice Their Lives to Save Others”, paid tribute to Mr Ho, whom he said commanded citizens’ greatest respect, having demonstrated exceptional courage and a high degree of gallantry in striving to save and protect the lives of others. “We deeply mourn the loss of such an excellent and devoted public servant.” The grant represents the Government’s recognition of the highest order of gallantry and selflessness shown by firefighter, Mr Sun added. Set up in 2002, the scheme provides financial aid to family members of those who lose their lives in attempting to save or protect others. The sum approved in each application is worked out based on the age, normal retirement age of the deceased, and prevailing median monthly employment earnings. The minimum and maximum levels are currently set at $6.15 million and $12.3 million, respectively.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam today chaired the first meeting of the Steering Committee tasked with establishing the Inter-Departmental Working Group to Review Legislation to Support Wider Application of AI (artificial intelligence). Mr Lam emphasised that the Government must take the lead in modernising Hong Kong’s laws to create a facilitative and properly controlled legal environment for AI development in the city. He added that a prompt review is necessary to ensure Hong Kong’s legal framework remains up to date. The proposed legal framework is expected to help the city harness AI's benefits while protecting the interests of all affected stakeholders. Mr Lam noted that the Government must take a proactive approach to managing the risks and regulatory requirements arising from AI development. He said it is essential to strike a balance between promoting innovation and mitigating associated risks. Therefore, policy bureaus and departments (B/Ds) should first conduct comprehensive and thorough reviews of existing laws to identify loopholes and deficiencies, and then formulate targeted and practicable solutions that take Hong Kong's actual environment into account, Mr Lam added. Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung, Acting Secretary for Environment & Ecology Diane Wong, Permanent Secretaries and Under Secretaries of various policy bureaus, as well as heads and representatives of other government departments attended the meeting. The participants at the meeting discussed the purpose of the Working Group and its mode of operation under the superintendence of the Steering Committee. The core members of the Working Group will be drawn from various B/Ds. The role of the Department of Justice (DoJ) is to help each bureau remain focused on conducting a critical review of the areas of law under their policy responsibility. After a preliminary study, the DoJ will co-ordinate different B/Ds during the course of the substantive review by the Working Group. Noting that the establishment of the Working Group would be essential to address issues arising from the rapid development and use of AI, Mr Lam called on all B/Ds, including the Judiciary Administration, the Administration Wing and the Digital Policy Office, to lend their full support. The DoJ’s establishment of the Working Group is one of the key policy initiatives in the Policy Address.