Secretary for Justice Paul Lam will depart tomorrow for visits to three member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – namely Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia – to promote Hong Kong's legal and dispute resolution services, and enhance co-operation with ASEAN.

In Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, Mr Lam will call on relevant government officials and engage with the legal and dispute resolution sectors to enhance bilateral collaboration and explore further opportunities for legal co-operation.

He will then lead a delegation comprising representatives from the Law Society of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Bar Association and alternative dispute resolution organisations to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. They will meet representatives of local authorities and the countries' legal and dispute resolution sectors to discuss various aspects of legal co-operation.

During the trip, the Secretary for Justice and the delegates will also address the legal and business sectors in Ho Chi Minh City at a forum and a networking dinner, and in Kuala Lumpur at a seminar and a networking reception aimed at promoting Hong Kong's legal and dispute resolution services.

Mr Lam will return to Hong Kong on September 28. During his absence, Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan will be Acting Secretary.