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2026
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.
The Court of Appeal today allowed an appeal by Lai Chee-ying in a fraud case, while the Government said the objective fact remains that he exploited public resources for private use. On October 25, 2022, the District Court had convicted Lai Chee-ying of two counts of fraud, and Wong Wai-keung, then a director of administration, of one count of fraud. Following a hearing in January 2025, the appellate court set aside their sentences. In a statement, the Government said it is an indisputable fact that Lai Chee-ying has exploited the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s valuable public resources for over 20 years. The Government noted the Court of Appeal judgement clearly pointed out that Lai Chee-ying's private company, Dico Consultants, occupied and used the premises in the Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate, while Apple Daily Printing breached the leasing instrument terms. The statement added that both the appellate judgment and the trial judge's reasons for verdict revealed the lease clearly stipulated the premises may only be used for publishing and printing business, and must not be occupied by any third party without approval from the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTPC). The Government said that for more than 20 years, Apple Daily Printing had allowed Dico Consultants to occupy and use the premises to handle the private affairs of Lai Chee-ying and his family without the knowledge of HKSTPC. If further emphasised that while the Court of Appeal considered the breach did not reach the threshold for a criminal fraud conviction in this specific factual context, the objective fact remains that Lai Chee-ying exploited public resources for private use. The Government also pointed out that the Hong Kong courts have always exercised judicial power independently, with all judgments handed down in an open and transparent manner. It added that the District Court conducted the trial impartially. While the defendants lodged an appeal in accordance with the law, the Government noted the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal while providing a detailed explanation of its reasons. Under Hong Kong’s fair and impartial legal system, both the trial court and the Court of Appeal handled the case openly and transparently. The statement noted that Lai Chee-ying is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence following his conviction by the Court of First Instance of the High Court for three national security offences. It emphasised that while the appeal in the fraud case has been allowed, the ruling does not alter the fact that Lai Chee-ying must serve his 20-year sentence for endangering national security. The Government also made it clear that the Department of Justice acts strictly in accordance with the Prosecution Code. It added that prosecution was only instituted because there was sufficient admissible evidence to support a reasonable prospect of conviction and the move was in the public interest. The Department of Justice will study the Court of Appeal's judgment on the fraud case thoroughly to consider lodging an appeal.
Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan today convened the first meeting of the Department of Justice's Expert Committee on Professional Services for Going Global to hear expert views on promoting Hong Kong's legal and other professional services to support Chinese Mainland enterprises in expanding overseas. Mr Cheung said that the Recommendations for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan give explicit support to Hong Kong in better integrating into and serving the overall national development. Enhancing industries with a competitive edge is one of the initiatives of the 2026-27 Budget. On strengthening professional collaboration, it stated that the Hong Kong Professional Services GoGlobal Platform, initiated by the DoJ with the support of the Commerce & Economic Development Bureau (CEDB), aims to facilitate co-ordination among the professional services sectors in supporting Mainland enterprises to go global with Hong Kong as their preferred platform. Mr Cheung added that the expert committee's first meeting being held on the day following the delivery of the Budget was most timely. Noting that the expert committee comprises experts from the legal, financial and accounting sectors from the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong as well as outstanding business and corporate representatives, he anticipated that they would offer insightful advice for the work of the GoGlobal Platform. At the meeting, the expert committee focused on two major areas of work and had an in-depth discussion on ways to enhance the integration of information related to Hong Kong's professional services to facilitate precise connections between Mainland enterprises and Hong Kong's professional services; and ways to enhance the understanding of the specific needs of Mainland enterprises expanding overseas as well as to co-ordinate Hong Kong's professional services to efficiently meet such needs. Mr Cheung stated that connecting and matching Mainland enterprises with Hong Kong's professional services is a common goal of the CEDB's Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global and the GoGlobal Platform. The GoGlobal Platform will serve as a hub that brings together Hong Kong's cross-sector professional services as the main force to support enterprises going global. It will promote and support the professional services sectors, empowering them to better respond to the needs for professional services of Mainland enterprises. As for the GoGlobal Task Force, it will directly engage with Mainland enterprises, serving as the pivotal point of contact for Mainland enterprises using Hong Kong as a launchpad to go global.
The Immigration Department announced today that to further facilitate visitors and enhance clearance efficiency, with effect from tomorrow, the eligibility criteria for the self-service immigration clearance (e-Channel) service for frequent visitors will be relaxed, and the enrolment procedure for the e-Channel service will be simplified. Under the new arrangement, frequent visitors, including those holding valid travel documents and multiple visit visas, who have visited Hong Kong via Hong Kong International Airport two or more times in the past 24 months and who meet the relevant criteria, may enrol for the e-Channel service free of charge. This enables them to perform self-service immigration clearance at all control points in Hong Kong using the e-Channel and enjoy a more convenient and efficient travel experience. Moreover, the enrolment procedure for the e-Channel services has been simplified. When registering at designated enrolment offices, eligible visitors holding valid electronic travel documents are only required to present their valid travel document used for entry, have their photo taken and sign a consent form. Fingerprint collection is no longer required. The enrolment procedure for visitors holding non-electronic travel documents remains unchanged. To perform arrival clearance, a newly enrolled visitor should place their travel document on the document reader of the e-Channel. Upon entering the e-Channel, visitors using electronic travel documents should look at the camera for facial recognition, while those using non-electronic travel documents should place their enrolled finger flat on the fingerprint scanner for fingerprint verification. Click here for details.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan proposed in his 2026-27 Budget today to refine the associated tax regime and institutional framework, nurture talent and leverage the city’s strengths in professional services, with a view to boosting economic development through driving intellectual property (IP) trading and financing. Delivering his speech this morning, Mr Chan said reducing costs will facilitate more relevant trading activities, which would be conducive to the development of knowledge-intensive industries and could reinforce Hong Kong’s position as a regional IP trading centre. He noted that the Government is consulting the trade on tax deduction arrangements for capital expenditure incurred for purchasing IP or the rights to use IP and plans to introduce an amendment bill this year. In addition, the Government has earmarked $28 million to support the Hong Kong Technology & Innovation Support Centre in providing innovation and technology (I&T) enterprises with patent evaluation based on Guobiao, and implementing the two-year Pilot Patent Valuation Support Scheme to assist I&T enterprises for conducting valuation of their patent assets. The Intellectual Property Department, together with the Vocational Training Council, will roll out a two-year pilot programme and establish the Intellectual Property Academy to provide on-the-job training linked to the Qualifications Framework. The Government has earmarked $52 million for the project, which is targeted to commence at the end of this year. Highlighting another industry with a competitive edge, Mr Chan noted that the Department of Justice (DoJ) is preparing for the development of the Hong Kong International Legal Service Building as a new international legal hub landmark, which will be home to the headquarters of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy and international legal and dispute resolution services institutions, etc. The preparatory works will commence this year. The International Institute for the Unification of Private Law will establish its Asia‑Pacific Liaison Office in Hong Kong this year. Mr Chan pointed out that the DoJ will continue attracting international legal and dispute resolution services institutions to establish offices in Hong Kong. To strengthen the promotion of mediation and arbitration services, the Government will strengthen the regulatory framework for accreditation and disciplinary matters of the mediation profession in Hong Kong and take forward the legislative exercise this year.
The Fire Services Department today said it received a total of 35,972 fire calls in 2025, representing a decrease of 4.9% over 2024. Among these were 2,000 damaging building fires, a slight increase of 25 cases over 2024. In all, 96.1% of building fire calls were responded to within the graded response time. Presenting the department's 2025 Year-end Review at a media session today, Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung said the decline of fire calls was mainly attributable to a reduction in false alarms - down 8.3% from 2024. The principal causes of the fires were electrical faults and human negligence, such as careless handling of cigarette ends and candles. With regard to special service calls, a total of 42,485 calls were received during the year, representing an 8% increase year-on-year. Notable incidents included Super Typhoon Ragasa that struck Hong Kong directly in September, during which the department handled over 800 special service calls. In the wake of the No.5 alarm fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, the department introduced a series of targeted measures to enhance the overall safety standard. First, a dedicated Inspection Team was established to conduct inspections on fire service installations and equipment (FSIs) in buildings undergoing major maintenance works. Second, a round-the-clock Quick Response Team was formed to proactively inspect the operation of the relevant FSI systems immediately at the scene of building fires. Third, alerts to residents during periods of major FSI failure were strengthened. Fourth, publicity, education and training for the public, owners' corporations and property management companies were actively reinforced.