Hong Kong Legal Week 2026 Concludes, Highlighting Collaboration and Innovation in Legal Sector Development

2026-11-06 20:58 Last Updated At：22:13

Hong Kong Legal Week 2026 concludes

Hong Kong Legal Week 2026, an annual flagship event of the legal sector and the Department of Justice (DoJ), concluded today (November 6). Themed "Collaboration & Innovation: Legal Synergy for a Shared Future", this year's Hong Kong Legal Week featured a series of events over five consecutive days. It attracted more than 6 000 registrants from over 50 jurisdictions participating both online and offline for in-depth discussions on various topics, demonstrating Hong Kong's role as an international legal hub.

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Hong Kong Legal Week 2026 concludes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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Hong Kong Legal Week 2026 concludes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Fourth Legal Forum on Interconnectivity and Development was held yesterday (November 5). Supported by the Legal Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), this forum was co-organised by the DoJ and the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the HKSAR. Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR Ms Yuan Gujie and the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the HKSAR, Mr Cui Jianchun, delivered their welcome remarks. Counsellor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr Wang Chen and the Chief Judge of the High Court, Mr Justice Jeremy Poon, also delivered their keynote speeches. This forum featured two keynote speech sessions exploring Hong Kong's role as an all-round international dispute resolution hub and its position in the country's development of foreign-related rule of law.

The Second Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Lawyers Forum, organised by the DoJ and supported by the GBA Lawyers Organization, was held today to conclude the week on a high note. The forum was themed "Rule of Law & Legal Innovation in the GBA: Bridging Legal Talents, Fostering Synergy". A leader from the Ministry of Justice, Mr Wang Limin, delivered the opening remarks and a keynote speech on supporting Hong Kong and Macao's legal sectors to integrate into and serve the development of the motherland's rule of law. The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC; the Director-General of the Department of Justice of Guangdong Province, Mr Chen Xudong; and the Chief of Office of the Secretary for Administration and Justice of the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Chang Cheong, delivered their opening remarks respectively.

In his opening remarks, Mr Lam said that the GBA has unique advantages under "one country, two systems and three jurisdictions", and dual-qualified GBA lawyers are the pioneers who turn the differences among the three jurisdictions' legal systems into institutional strengths. The GBA lawyers' scheme has been regularised starting from September, and more than 700 legal practitioners from Hong Kong and Macao have obtained the relevant practising qualifications to date. Mr Lam encouraged Hong Kong legal professionals to enrol in the GBA Legal Professional Examination to join the team of GBA lawyers as soon as possible, so as to seize the boundless opportunities for development in the region. This is also one of the objectives set out by the HKSAR Government in Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan.

During the thematic sharing session, representatives from the GBA Lawyers Organization, the Law Society of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Bar Association shared their valuable insights respectively on topics including the regularisation of the GBA lawyers' scheme and the development prospects of the field, the integration of GBA legal talent and professionals, and the role of Hong Kong legal practitioners in GBA dispute resolution.

The thematic sharing session was followed by a panel discussion that centred on "The Practice and Emerging Opportunities for GBA Lawyers in Enterprises' Cross-border Development". Top GBA and Mainland lawyers drew on their practical experiences to explore how dual-qualified GBA lawyers could capitalise on the unique advantages of "one country, two systems and three jurisdictions" of the GBA in multiple fields, including cross-border commercial litigation, lawtech and green finance, to facilitate Mainland enterprises in going global.

The afternoon session brought together renowned Hong Kong, Mainland and Macao mediators to demonstrate the practical application and achievements of the interface of regulatory frameworks in the GBA through the staging of a mock mediation conducted with the GBA Cross-Boundary Disputes Mediation Model Rules, together with analysis of the Mediation Model Rules and operational overview.

In his closing remarks, the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, said that the establishment of the Task Force on Expediting the Alignment of Rules and Mechanisms in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao was announced in the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address, where he was tasked to co-ordinate with relevant bureaux to explore ways to advance the alignment of rules and mechanisms within the GBA. He said that the Task Force is targeted to be established early next year to launch the research and consultations with stakeholders from various sectors as soon as possible. The Task Force will draw up a list of matters relating to the alignment of rules and mechanisms, with a view to commencing relevant work with the Mainland at an early stage, and supporting the government authorities of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in taking forward the work of alignment of rules and mechanisms.

Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan proactively aligns with the National 15th Five-Year Plan, calling for better leveraging Hong Kong's unique advantages as a common law system under "one country, two systems" by enhancing its diversified and high-level dispute resolution services, including litigation, arbitration and mediation, and promoting closer interface of rules and mechanisms concerning the safeguards of the rule of law in the GBA. The DoJ will continue to organise a wide range of activities to foster exchanges and co-operation among legal professionals and relevant stakeholders from Hong Kong, Mainland and other jurisdictions on such topics as international dispute resolution, construction of foreign-related rule of law, and lawtech to further strengthen Hong Kong's position as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre.

Passengers Jailed for Importing $310,000 Worth of Duty-Not-Paid Cigarettes into Hong Kong

Two incoming passengers convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes

Two incoming passengers were each sentenced to eight months' imprisonment and fined $2,000 at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (November 6) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).

Customs officers intercepted a 39-year-old Mainland female passenger and a 37-year-old Mainland male passenger arriving in Hong Kong from Tokyo, Japan, at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (November 5) and seized about 62 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $310,000 and a duty potential of about $205,000, from their personal baggage. The two passengers were subsequently arrested.

Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.

Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Hong Kong Legal Week 2026 Concludes, Highlighting Collaboration and Innovation in Legal Sector Development

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