Hong Kong Legal Week 2025 Kicks Off, Focusing on Lawtech, AI, and Global Legal Collaboration

2025-12-01 20:28 Last Updated At：12-06 17:15

Hong Kong Legal Week 2025 commences today

The Hong Kong Legal Week 2025, themed "Linking Laws, Bridging Worlds",commenced today (December 1). Representatives from international organisations and the legal industry, renowned experts, government officials and academics from around the world will participate in the Legal Week in person and online to engage in in-depth discussions and exchanges on topics such as the integration of lawtech and AI, the development of international law and alternative dispute resolution, as well as collaboration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Before the start of the Legal Week activities, all participants stood up and observeda moment of silence to mourn the victims of the Tai Po fire.

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Hong Kong Legal Week 2025 commences today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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Hong Kong Legal Week 2025 commences today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The 6th UNCITRAL Asia Pacific Judicial Summit - Judicial Conference, organised by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy, was held as the opening event of this year's Hong Kong Legal Week. Around 50 judges from over 25 jurisdictions attended the Judicial Conference in person, with judges from other jurisdictions participating online. The biennial Summit themed "The Future is Now: Legally Enabling Digitalization of International Trade" comprises a Judicial Conference and a Judicial Roundtable tomorrow (December 2). The Judicial Conference focused on "Building Towards End-to-End Trade Digitalization" and explored topics such as digitalisation of trade, digital transformation in transport, and emerging trends in dispute resolution within the digital economy. The Judicial Roundtable, under the theme "Recent Trends in Dispute Resolution", will explore judicial approaches for handling disputes involving AI, as well as the dynamic interaction between alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and formal court proceedings.

In his welcome remarks, the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, said that the theme of this year’s Hong Kong Legal Week aims at highlighting Hong Kong’s role in connecting different economies and legal systems through collaboration, understanding and global legal exchange. Under the principle of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong has strong legal foundation and international connectivity. It is dedicated to serve as a "super connector" and a capacity building hub to facilitate the legal and economic collaboration across the region and beyond. The Judicial Conference today provided a platform to share experience and exchange views on facilitating the development of digitalisation.

The Secretary of UNCITRAL, Ms Anna Joubin-Bret,and the Deputy Director General of the Department of Treaty and Law of the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, Mr Tian Ya, gave their welcome remarks at the Summit.

The Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Andrew Cheung, gave a keynote speech on the evolving judicial landscape amid digitalisation of trade. The Secretary-General of International Organization for Mediation, Professor Teresa Cheng, also delivered special remarks at the Summit.

The Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, in his closing remarks said that the insightful perspectives offered by the participants in the conference today have demonstrated the collective dedication to facilitating and harmonising the seamless digitalisation of trade transactions, and set the stage for continuous engagement among members including the judiciary, government officials, legal specialists and practitioners. It will foster continued professional interaction and constructive dialogues in the times ahead.

This year's Summit coincides with the first anniversary of the launch of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy. The Department of Justice (DoJ) has specially released the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy Anniversary Booklet 2024-2025, reviewing the achievements and milestones of the Academy in promoting international legal exchange and capacity building over the past year. Building upon its inaugural year's accomplishments, the Academy will continue to make good use of Hong Kong's bilingual common law system and international status, to serve as a capacity-building, as well as knowledge and experience-sharing platform for legal professionals in Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and other jurisdictions, in particular those along the “Belt and Road”.

Other events during the Hong Kong Legal Week include the Third Legal Forum on Interconnectivity and Development, co-organised by the DoJ and the Commissioner's Office of China's Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region tomorrow, featuring in-depth discussions on "Practising Multilateralism and Upholding the International Rule of Law" and "The Promotion and Development of International Law through Emerging Technologies". On Wednesday (December 3), a Symposium of the HCCH Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) on Private International Law, alongside the annual forum "Capital of Mediation" and "Hong Kong Mediation Lecture 2025" will be held. On Thursday (December 4), the Basic Law 35th Anniversary Legal Summit will be held on the Constitution Day. The closing event, the First Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area Lawyers Forum, will be held on Friday (December 5) morning under the theme "GBA Connectivity: Setting Sail for Global Horizons". On the same day afternoon, a lawtech conference titled "The AI Era: Shaping the Legal Landscape in the 21st Century" will be held, with a view to deepening the legal profession's understanding of the opportunities and challenges brought by legal technology and AI through various activities.

For more details of Hong Kong Legal Week 2025, please visit the dedicated website at www.legalweek.hk. Live broadcast will be available on the dedicated website and at webcast.info.gov.hk.

FEHD Releases May Gravidtrap Indexes for Aedes Albopictus, Highlights Areas of Concern and Control Measures.

FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in May

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (May 21) released the fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in May, covering 12 survey areas, as follows:

District

Survey Area

May 2026

First Phase Gravidtrap Index

First Phase Density Index

Eastern

Shau Kei Wan and Sai Wan Ho

9.1%

1.4

Islands

Tung Chung

2.0%

1.0

Kowloon City

Hung Hom and To Kwa Wan

6.7%

1.5

Tai Po

Tai Po East

2.2%

2.0

Tai Po West

15.5%

1.0

Tuen Mun

Tuen Mun South

9.1%

1.4

District

Survey Area

May 2026

Area Gravidtrap Index

Area Density Index

Central and Western

Kennedy Town and Shek Tong Tsui

16.8%

1.3

Eastern

Chai Wan

15.4%

1.0

North Point and Quarry Bay

18.9%

1.4

Southern

Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau

20.8%

1.7

Sha Tin

Sha Tin Town Centre and Fo Tan

18.3%

1.4

Tsuen Wan

Tsuen Wan Town

6.9%

2.3

The fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in May includes First Phase Gravidtrap Indexes covering six survey areas and Area Gravidtrap Indexes covering six survey areas. Among which, six survey areas recorded gravidtrap indexes above 10 per cent, while Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau in Southern District recorded a gravidtrap index above 20 per cent. Meanwhile, the gravidtrap indexes of six survey areas, namely Kennedy Town and Shek Tong Tsui in Central and Western District; North Point and Quarry Bay in Eastern District; Shau Kei Wan and Sai Wan Ho in Eastern District; Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau in Southern District; Tai Po East in Tai Po District; and Tuen Mun South in Tuen Mun District, have recorded a decrease as compared to the indexes recorded in the last survey period, reflecting the progress of relevant mosquito control work.

With reference to the data from the past few years, the gravidtrap indexes start to rise from April or May every year. The actual timing and extent of the rise are affected by factors like weather conditions and rainfall. The average temperature and rainfall recorded in April this year were higher than those in the same period last year, creating favourable conditions for mosquito growth and breeding. As a result, the rise in gravidtrap indexes occurred earlier this year. With the increase in rainfall in May, the gravidtrap indexes are expected to rise further.

For survey areas which recorded indexes exceeding 10 per cent, in accordance with the mechanism implemented by the FEHD in response to the chikungunya fever (CF) situation (i.e. strengthening mosquito control work in areas with a gravidtrap index between 10 per cent and 20 per cent, instead of 20 per cent or above under the original mechanism), the FEHD is collaborating with relevant departments and stakeholders to identify locations with high mosquito infestations and carry out intensive and targeted mosquito control measures. The FEHD has initiated two prosecutions against the relevant construction site contractors following the discovery of mosquito breeding at construction sites in Tai Po District and Southern District. Moreover, following the discovery of stagnant water or stagnant water containers in a park, a construction site, a private housing estate, a clinic and a private premises in Tai Po District, Central and Western District, as well as Southern District, the FEHD has issued five statutory notices to the responsible persons-in-charge, requiring the clearance of such items within a specified timeframe. The FEHD, the relevant departments and stakeholders are following up on the mosquito control work, and will also organise exhibitions, distribute leaflets and posters, and notify residential estates that have subscribed to the gravidtrap Rapid Alert System, advising property management agents and residents to stay vigilant and work together in taking mosquito prevention and elimination measures. In addition, the FEHD will strengthen the monitoring of the gravidtrap index in the areas to review the effectiveness of the mosquito control work.

Public participation is crucial to the effective control of mosquito problems. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to work together in strengthening personal mosquito control measures, including:

tidy up their premises and check for any accumulation of water inside the premises;

remove all unnecessary water collections and eliminate the sources;

check household items (those placed in outdoor and open areas in particular), such as refuse containers, vases, air conditioner drip trays, and laundry racks to prevent stagnant water;

change water in flower vases and scrub their inner surfaces thoroughly, and remove water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week;

properly cover all containers that hold water to prevent mosquitoes from accessing the water;

properly dispose of articles that can contain water, such as disposable meal boxes and empty cans; and

scrub drains and surface sewers with alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.

Starting in August 2025, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD has been disseminating relevant information through press releases, its website and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of CF transmission.

Following recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 62 survey areas of the community, with a surveillance period of two weeks. During the surveillance period, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data from the two weeks of surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The gravidtrap and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas, as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures, are available on the department's webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#).

Hong Kong Legal Week 2025 Kicks Off, Focusing on Lawtech, AI, and Global Legal Collaboration

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