HKSAR and Supreme People's Court Reach Consensus on Deepening Cooperation in Judicial and Legal Talent Training

HKSAR and Supreme People's Court reach consensus on deepening co-operation in judicial and legal talent training

The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, today (September 21) met with the Director of the Political Department of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), Mr Sun Zhenping, and reached a consensus on deepening co-operation in judicial and legal talent training to promote collaboration in nurturing judicial and legal talent between Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Mainland.

In accordance with the consensus reached, and with a view to further consolidating and deepening long-term co-operation in nurturingjudicial and legal talent between the two places, the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the SPC will establish and maintain institutionalised co-operative projects, support Hong Kong in leveraging its strengths under the rule of law to participate more extensively in the high-quality joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative, collaborate on compiling judicial and legal research reports, mutually recommend judicial and legal experts to deliver lectures, and jointly enhance the development of online training platforms. The DoJ and the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy will actively explore and deepen opportunities for co-operation with the SPC across various areas.

With the staunch support and guidance of the SPC, the Academy has organised a wide range of capacity-building programmes since its launch in November 2024. These initiatives achieved notable success in actively promoting professional exchanges and mutual learning of experiences between the legal and judicial sectors of both places. The Academy co-organised two cohorts of the Hong Kong Common Law Practical Training Course with the SPC in Hong Kong in January 2025 and January this year. It also co-organised the Shanghai Foreign-Related Adjudication Talent Training Course with the Shanghai High People's Court in Shanghai in November 2025, and the Greater Bay Area Foreign-Related Adjudication Talent Training Course with the High People's Court of Guangdong Province in Guangzhou in July this year. Over 240 Mainland judges in total participated in these training. Furthermore, the Academy held the Mainland Civil and Commercial Legal Practice Training Course in Hong Kong in June 2025 and August this year, inviting judges from the SPC and local courts to serve as speakers. In addition to these programmes, the Academy will collaborate with the National Judges College in the future to organise capacity-building programmes for judges from countries and regions along the Belt and Road, fostering talent exchanges across the Belt and Road regions.

The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC (right), today (September 21) met with the Director of the Political Department of the Supreme People's Court, Mr Sun Zhenping (left), and reached a consensus on deepening co-operation in judicial and legal talent training. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Enhancement works to commence in Wong Nai Chung Market Cooked Food Centre

A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (September 21) that stall enhancement works in the Wong Nai Chung Market Cooked Food Centre will commence on September 28 (Monday) to improve its operating environment and enhance the dining experience for the public. The works are expected to be completed by the end of December this year. To facilitate the smooth implementation of the works, the Cooked Food Centre will be temporarily closed with effect from the same date.

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Photo source: reference image

The enhancement works in the Wong Nai Chung Market Cooked Food Centre include beautification of the entrance lobby of the Cooked Food Centre, stall portals, walls and floor tiles, installing lighting fixtures, and reconfiguring dining furniture. The FEHD will also undertake other repair and maintenance works, including the replacement or repair of electrical and mechanical, fire services and building services installations in the Cooked Food Centre.

The Government has been implementing the Market Modernisation Programme (MMP) since 2018. Through overhaul or redevelopment projects, stall enhancement projects and minor refurbishment or improvement works, the MMP improves the operating environment of existing public markets, facilitates tenants' business operations and provides a more pleasant shopping environment. At present, the FEHD has completed three stall enhancement projects, namely the Queen Street Cooked Food Market, the Ap Lei Chau Market Cooked Food Centre, and the Luen Wo Hui Market Cooked Food Centre. The former two resumed business in September 2024 and July this year respectively, and the works for the latter were completed in July this year. Since reopening, the average daily footfall of these cooked food markets has increased compared with that before the enhancement works, and their overall operations have been smooth, providing the public with a modern and comfortable dining environment. In addition, there are two stall enhancement projects being carried out at the Yue Wan Market Cooked Food Centre and the Mong Kok Cooked Food Market. The relevant works commenced in March and September this year respectively, and are expected to be completed in December this year.

The FEHD will continue to take forward the MMP, with stall enhancement as a priority, to implement projects at suitable markets, with a view to keeping public markets abreast with the times to meet public needs.

The Wong Nai Chung Cooked Food Centre, Photo source: fpf.ccidahk.gov.hk/