Secretary for Justice: Addressing 2026 CityU Law Graduates on Opportunities and Challenges Ahead

Speech by SJ at School of Law of City University of Hong Kong Commencement

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, at the School of Law of City University of Hong Kong Commencement today (June 10):

The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, Photo source: FB@Paul Lam

Professor Lin (Dean of the School of Law of City University of Hong Kong, Professor Lin Feng), learned professors, distinguished guests, graduates, ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon. It gives me great pleasure to join you today. I would like to begin by offering my warmest congratulations to the graduation class of 2026. Your long years of dedication and hard work have finally paid off. Today is a day to take pride in your hard-earned achievements. Today is a day to pay tribute to your teachers, family and friends.

More importantly, today's ceremony also marks the successful completion of one chapter and the commencement of another. You have obtained the requisite qualification to become the custodians of justice in Hong Kong. There are both opportunities and challenges.

Let me start with opportunities. As I have said repeatedly, our common law system is one of the most unique and significant strengths of Hong Kong under the principle of "one country, two systems". Hong Kong is the only common law jurisdiction in China, and the only bilingual common law jurisdiction using both Chinese and English in the world. You are both the beneficiaries and custodians of this advantage. I am pleased to see that the CityU (City University of Hong Kong) School of Law has taken the initiative to connect, and enhance mutual understanding between, the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong legal systems through its renowned Chinese Judges Programmes and the China Legal Placement Programme. By studying here, you have been immersed in an environment that respects the rigour of the common law while remaining deeply attuned to our national legal development.

I would urge you to leverage the unique advantages that no other jurisdiction in the world can offer. Thanks to the strong support of the Central Government, the doors are now wide open for you to take part in transboundary legal matters and even to obtain and acquire dual qualifications to practise in both jurisdictions. One way to do so is through the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Legal Professional Examination (GBA Examination). As you may have heard, the Department of Justice (DoJ) is striving to persuade the Central Authorities to convert the pilot scheme in this respect, which will expire later this year, into a permanent one.

The GBA Examination is far more than a credential; it is a strategic career catalyst. It will enable you to obtain the professional qualification to provide legal services in the nine Mainland municipalities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) in specified civil and commercial matters to which Mainland laws apply.

A GBA lawyer with dual qualifications not only serves as a "super-connector" or "super-value-adder" in terms of the provision of legal services, but also contributes to the building of a pool of foreign-related legal talent for our country.

Let me turn to challenges. As you step out of the lecture halls into the courtrooms, law firms, barristers' chambers or in-house legal departments, you are entering a profession that is undergoing a paradigm shift. We often hear that the law is a tradition-bound profession, but in this ever-changing technological era, we must be "innovative yet rooted".

One of the most significant shifts is the proliferation of lawtech and AI. There is often a fear that AI will replace lawyers. I disagree. I believe that AI will empower rather than replace lawyers. AI-powered legal tools can elevate the quality of legal services by minimising human errors, speeding up administrative tasks, and ensuring more accurate and timely responses to clients. They can also facilitate a wide variety of tasks such as legal research, document review and e-discovery that would otherwise take up much of a lawyer's time.

However, there are matters that AI will not be able to replicate: your legal creativity, ethical judgment and the "human touch" in advocacy. That's why I am convinced that AI cannot and will not replace lawyers but complement them by adopting the "Human+AI" approach under which we may harness the benefits of technology while guarding against potential risks like AI hallucinations as well as challenges to data privacy, accountability, transparency, etc. To meet the challenges in this respect, you must master both the skills and the ethical rules governing the use of AI.

In fact, the DoJ has been actively promoting the integration of lawtech and AI in the legal sector and has taken on a pivotal role in shaping the broader legal regime for AI governance. For instance, the DoJ has established the Consultation Group on LawTech Development to discuss development strategies and policies to promote the use of lawtech in the legal and dispute resolution industry.

As new blood in the legal community, you are the guardians of our legal system, and you may perform such a role in different ways. One way is to join the DoJ. The DoJ has a very popular Legal Trainee Scheme, and we will organise information days to introduce our work. I would take this opportunity to invite you to consider this option.

There is no doubt that the path ahead will be demanding and challenging. But do remember that this is your choice. Joining the legal profession is not just for a job, but also for a calling. To the CityU graduates: Your School has taught you to be "well-rounded, intellectually rigorous and socially conscious". Please carry that CityU spirit with you.

In closing, I welcome you to the legal community. Do not be afraid to challenge the status quo, do not fear the evolution of technology, and do not limit your horizons to our shores. Try your best to explore the enormous opportunities open to you, which are made possible by our country's development and Hong Kong's special status under the principle of "one country, two systems".

On this note, I wish to congratulate you and your beloved ones once again on your achievements. And I wish you all the best in your future legal career. Thank you.

The City University of Hong Kong, Photo source: reference image

CE meets Chairman of China Securities Regulatory Commission

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (August 2) met with the Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, Mr Wu Qing, at Government House to exchange views on deepening the mutual access between Hong Kong and Mainland financial markets. The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan; the Acting Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan; the Chairman of the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong (SFC), Dr Kelvin Wong; and the Chief Executive Officer of the SFC, Ms Julia Leung, also attended the meeting.

Mr Lee welcomed Mr Wu and his delegation to Hong Kong. He said that Hong Kong enjoys unique advantages of having strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world under the "one country, two systems" principle, and possesses a highly internationalised market environment and mature financial infrastructure. The National 15th Five-Year Plan supports Hong Kong in consolidating and enhancing its status as an international financial centre, strengthening its functions as a global offshore Renminbi (RMB) business hub, an international asset and wealth management centre, and an international risk management centre. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is pressing ahead at full speed with the preparation of Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan, and is fully committed to its formulation to proactively seize the opportunities brought by the development of the country, continuously advance the high-quality development of Hong Kong as an international financial centre, and support the high-level opening up of the Mainland's financial markets.

Mr Lee said that global demand for RMB in trade finance, investment and reserves is steadily rising. Hong Kong, as a hub for global offshore RMB transactions and financial activities, with the world's largest offshore pool of RMB funds, has been actively advancing the upgrading of its financial infrastructure, product innovation and market expansion in various key areas. He was pleased to note that the launch of Mainland government bond futures in Hong Kong tomorrow (August 3) provides an effective offshore risk management tool for investors, and helps attract international investors to participate in the Mainland bond market and to hold RMB treasury bonds on a long-term basis. This is a key step in enhancing the RMB product ecosystem, and further consolidates Hong Kong's status as the world's offshore RMB business hub. Mr Lee thanked the Central People's Government and relevant Mainland regulators for their continued support, and said that he looked forward to further deepening co-operation with the Mainland and enhancing the liquidity of offshore RMB to facilitate the prudent and solid advancement of the RMB's internationalisation.

Mr Lee said that the HKSAR Government will continue to work closely with Mainland regulators to jointly implement pragmatic measures to deepen co-operation between the two markets. Hong Kong will continue to expand the mutual access between Hong Kong and Mainland financial markets, building on the existing foundations of Stock Connect, Bond Connect and Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect, to offer a wide range of investment and risk management products to the market. Hong Kong and the Mainland will achieve complementary advantages and promote synergistic development and product innovation in the financial markets to contribute to the development of the country as a financial powerhouse.

CE meets Chairman of China Securities Regulatory Commission Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases