Seminar held on national initiatives for supporting Hong Kong legal sector's development (with photo)
9.9.2021

A seminar on Hong Kong legal professionals' practice and other opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), co-organised by the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Department of Law of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and supported by the Law Society of Hong Kong, was held today (September 9). Representatives from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the China Law Society and the Department of Justice of Guangdong Province introduced the national policies for supporting the Hong Kong legal profession's development, the latest developments of the building of the rule of law in China, relevant arrangements after passing the GBA Legal Professional Examination and more. The Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, expressed her heartfelt thanks to the Central Government and relevant authorities and organisations for their staunch support, arranging officials to explain the arrangements for Hong Kong lawyers to practise in the GBA and the national initiatives for supporting the Hong Kong legal profession, thereby promoting the Hong Kong legal sector's integration into the overall national development. She also highlighted that the Plan for Comprehensive Deepening Reform and Opening Up of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone promulgated recently, when coupled with the liberalisation measures in the GBA, will create huge opportunities for the Hong Kong legal sector. She called on the sector to join hands in seizing the opportunities together by integrating the needs of the country with the strengths of Hong Kong, embodying the country's unwavering support and clear positioning for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to establish itself as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region under the National 14th Five-Year Plan, so as to foster the long-term development of the city, the GBA and the country. At the seminar, the head of the Bureau of Lawyers' Work of the MoJ, Mr Zhou Yuansheng, explained the details of the opening up of the Mainland's legal services market for the Hong Kong legal profession and various policies for supporting the Hong Kong legal profession's development, including the GBA Legal Professional Examination, enhancements on partnership associations set up between Hong Kong and Mainland law firms, and the China-Appointed Attesting Officers examination. The Deputy Director-General of the Department of Justice of Guangdong Province, Mr Liang Zhen, briefed the participants on the development of legal services in Guangdong Province, the outlook for the legal services market in Guangdong Province and the nine Mainland municipalities in the GBA and such matters as intensive training and the application for practice qualification after passing the GBA Legal Professional Examination. The head of the external relations department of the China Law Society, Mr Ji Daxin, introduced the achievements of China in the building of the rule of law. During the exchange session, legal professionals attending the seminar shared their insights and understanding of the national policies benefitting Hong Kong and their views on exploring the GBA. The seminar was conducted in a hybrid mode. Through disseminating positive messages, the DoJ hopes that strengths can be brought together, thereby producing synergy, in the legal community. Ends/Thursday, September 9, 2021 Issued at HKT 19:20 NNNN