Hong Kong legal chief hails milestone for Greater Bay Area lawyer scheme
Hong Kong's Secretary for Justice opened the second Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Lawyers Forum, highlighting that over 700 lawyers have qualified under the scheme. The forum, themed 'Legal Wisdom Bay Area', explored dispute resolution, legal tech and cross-border services as the system
Hong Kong's Secretary for Justice opened the second Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Lawyers Forum on 6 November, saying more than 700 legal practitioners from Hong Kong and Macau have now obtained dual-qualification status under the Greater Bay Area lawyer scheme. The forum, themed 'Legal Wisdom Bay Area', attracted over 900 online and in-person participants.
The Secretary said the Greater Bay Area is one of China's most open and economically vibrant regions, and that Hong Kong has been working to create 'soft connectivity' paths leveraging its common-law advantages. He noted that the national 15th Five-Year Plan called for deepening the bay area's construction and strengthening legal safeguards, while Hong Kong's first five-year plan, released in September, aims to bolster the city's role as an international legal and dispute resolution hub.
The Secretary highlighted two key milestones in 2026: in August, China's National People's Congress Standing Committee amended the Lawyers Law to make the Greater Bay Area lawyer scheme permanent, effective September; and in October, the Ministry of Justice issued implementing rules standardising exam registration, licensing procedures and practice scope. He thanked the Ministry of Justice and Guangdong Provincial Justice Department for their support since the pilot scheme began in August 2020.
The forum featured addresses by leaders from the Ministry of Justice, the Macau government and Guangdong's justice department, as well as representatives from the Greater Bay Area Lawyers Association, the Law Society of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Bar Association. Panel discussions covered cross-border dispute resolution, legal technology, green finance, data compliance and cross-border investment review.
In the afternoon, mediators from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau conducted a simulated mediation using the Greater Bay Area Cross-Border Dispute Mediation Model Rules, demonstrating rule harmonisation and promoting mediation as a dispute resolution tool. The Secretary encouraged Hong Kong legal professionals to take the bay area exam and seize opportunities in the region, noting this is a target in Hong Kong's first five-year plan.
