Hong Kong Academy Concludes Successful Legal Training Course on Mainland Civil and Commercial Law

Mainland Civil and Commercial Legal Practice Training Course 2026 of Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy concludes

The Mainland Civil and Commercial Legal Practice Training Course 2026, organised by the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy, concluded today (August 22). This two-day course, organised by the Academy specifically for local legal and dispute resolution practitioners, aimed to deepen the local sector's understanding of the Chinese Mainland's civil and commercial legal system, practical operation, and latest developments, while fostering professional exchange and experience-sharing between the Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. The course attracted over 400 registrations.

Addressing the opening ceremony, the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, noted that, as the country continues to advance high-level opening up, there is a substantial increase in the demand for cross-border legal services. He said that the Hong Kong legal sector requires more talent equipped with knowledge of, and practical capabilities in, cross-border civil and commercial law. This course directly addressed such pressing need, and is of importance in promoting legal exchange and co-operation between the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, and enhancing the standard of legal services.

In his closing remarks, the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, said that as arbitration services in the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong are developing rapidly, Hong Kong will fully leverage its institutional and professional services strengths, and support the Chinese Mainland and overseas arbitration institutions in expanding their international operations and establishing branches in Hong Kong. These efforts will help attract high-calibre arbitration professionals, further enhancing Hong Kong's competitiveness as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre.

After running the inagural Mainland Civil and Commercial Legal Practice Training Course in 2025, the course this year focused on a range of key areas of civil and commercial law practice in the Chinese Mainland. Lectures covered topics including mutual legal assistance arrangements in civil and commercial matters, arbitration in the Chinese Mainland, and investment protection agreements. In addition, two thematic panel discussions examined, from different perspectives, the evolving landscape and challenges Chinese enterprises face in their overseas development, as well as the development in international investment arbitration, further enhancing the Hong Kong legal and dispute resolution sectors' understanding of the Chinese Mainland civil and commercial legal system and the relevant practical operation. Speakers included senior judges from the Supreme People's Court and other courts in the Chinese Mainland, representatives of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Commerce, experienced legal professionals from Hong Kong and overseas, representatives of Chinese enterprises, and arbitration experts, providing participants with a valuable platform for practical exchange.

The Academy will continue organising targeted training programmes to strengthen the understanding of the Chinese Mainland legal system and its practical developments. It will also promote exchange and collaboration among legal and dispute resolution professionals in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, thereby consolidating Hong Kong's status as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre, supporting its development as a legal capacity-building hub, and contributing more effectively to the country's development of foreign-related rule of law.

Mainland Civil and Commercial Legal Practice Training Course 2026 of Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy concludes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Mainland Civil and Commercial Legal Practice Training Course 2026 of Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy concludes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Mainland Civil and Commercial Legal Practice Training Course 2026 of Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy concludes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Mainland Civil and Commercial Legal Practice Training Course 2026 of Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy concludes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Government has pressed ahead with inter-departmental drills at the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area, testing operational readiness across cross-boundary passenger clearance and vehicle inspection procedures.

Multiple departments, including the Police Force, the Immigration Department, the Customs & Excise Department, the Department of Health and the Government Property Agency took part in the exercises to ensure full preparedness ahead of the port’s commissioning.

Immigration officers guide a visitor denied entry to Hong Kong through examination and Customs inspection during a drill at the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area, , before escorting her back to Shenzhen.

During passenger clearance simulations at the departure hall, the Immigration Department tested contingency measures for a “Collaborative Inspection & Joint Clearance” automated channels breakdown that triggered heavy queuing.

In response, frontline staff redirected travellers to manual counters and co-ordinated with the Shenzhen General Station of Exit & Entry Frontier Inspection to set up temporary manual counters. Officers also deployed handheld devices to perform departure clearance for eligible Hong Kong residents, rapidly clearing the backup.

Customs officers direct a vehicle lacking a valid Closed Road Permit to the inspection area after detecting the violation at the “Customs front kiosk” in the vehicle departure hall during a drill.

In separate passenger scenarios, immigration officers escorted a traveller who failed to pass through the automated channel to the duty room for identification document verification.

Similarly, at the arrival hall, officers guided a visitor denied entry into Hong Kong to the duty room for examination, before co-ordinating Customs inspection and escorting her back to Shenzhen.

Vehicle inspection drills at the vehicle departure hall involved the Customs & Excise Department, the Police Force, the Immigration Department, and other departments testing responses to multiple operational scenarios.

Department of Health staff perform manual temperature screening with handheld infrared scanners following a simulated system failure at the “joint one-stop” vehicle lanes.

In one mock situation at the “Customs front kiosk”, a vehicle was scanned for its licence plate, and officers found that it lacked a valid Closed Road Permit. In another, a vehicle was stopped after passengers failed to disembark for Customs inspection, prompting Customs officers to direct the vehicle to an inspection area for follow-up.

Meanwhile, at the vehicle arrival hall, the Immigration Department simulated a system failure across the “joint one-stop” vehicle lanes. Officers smoothly transitioned to manual checks of identification documents. Concurrently, the Department of Health deployed to the kiosk to execute manual temperature screening using handheld infrared scanners.