Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok speaks during a group interview held at the Justice Place, Central, Hong Kong on Oct 27, 2022. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)
HONG KONG – The 2023 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Legal Professional Examination was successfully held in Hong Kong and Zhuhai on Saturday.
In a statement, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok said he was hopeful that the exam, held for the third time, can be converted from a pilot program to a regular examination so that more Hong Kong legal practitioners could provide services in the GBA.
Hong Kong legal practitioners who pass the exam and obtain the necessary certificate will be able to provide legal services in the nine Chinese mainland municipalities in the Greater Bay Area “on specified civil and commercial matters to which the mainland laws apply”
"Under the strong support of the central government and the Ministry of Justice, the GBA Examination was successfully held three times,” Lam was quoted as saying in the statement.
Hong Kong legal practitioners who pass the exam and obtain the necessary certificate will be able to provide legal services in the nine Chinese mainland municipalities in the Greater Bay Area “on specified civil and commercial matters to which the mainland laws apply.”
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“These lawyers with dual qualification will, in the course of their practice in the GBA, cooperate with their mainland counterparts and share their respective experiences and collaborate in resolving cross-jurisdictional legal issues that arise in practice,” Lam said.
“This is conducive to accelerating the nurture of talent in international legal affairs in the GBA, deepening the alignment and harmonization of rules and mechanisms in civil and commercial matters in the GBA, as well as facilitating the integration of Hong Kong legal practitioners into the national development," he added.
Like in the first two exams, the examination venue was again set up in Hong Kong for the third GBA Examination, facilitating Hong Kong candidates.
According to the memorandum of understanding signed by the MoJ and the Department of Justice in 2021, the DoJ coordinates with the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) in handling examination-related work in Hong Kong.
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The DoJ is thankful to the HKEAA for its tremendous efforts in ensuring that the GBA Examination can be successfully held in Hong Kong, according to the statement.