Secretary for Justice Paul Lam today attended the opening ceremony of the National Training Course for Talents Handling Foreign-related Arbitration (Hong Kong), which is organised by the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy and the Ministry of Justice.

As he addressed those gathered at the event, Mr Lam highlighted that the Government spares no effort in implementing several measures, including improving the legal framework related to arbitration, attracting globally renowned arbitral institutions to establish a presence in Hong Kong, and hosting international conferences on legal and dispute resolution services to promote the city’s international legal and arbitration services.

He expressed the hope that the training course will facilitate exchanges to bridge the arbitration systems of Hong Kong and the Mainland, and deepen participants' understanding of arbitration and dispute resolution in Hong Kong so that they can put what they have learnt into practice in future.

The two-week training course, which commenced yesterday, provides a comprehensive introduction of the system and practice of arbitration in Hong Kong to more than 80 participants comprising Mainland in-house counsel, experienced arbitrators, lawyers and arbitration practitioners through lectures, exchanges and visits.

Speakers include experienced Hong Kong legal professionals and members of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Expert Committee.

Before the opening ceremony, Mr Lam signed a new legal exchange and co-operation arrangement with the China University of Political Science & Law to replace the arrangement signed by the two sides in 2016.

Noting that legal exchanges and co-operation between the two sides have been achieving progress, he said that the new co-operation arrangement will enhance mutual collaboration on nurturing foreign-related legal talents and promote the rule of law, as well as exchanges on legal issues such as international arbitration, mediation and the national development strategy of the Belt & Road Initiative.