Hong Kong legal sector welcomes making bay area practice scheme permanent
Scheme opening up Guangdong cities to Hong Kong lawyers in 2020 is enshrined in Lawyers Law, strengthening cross-border flow of services
Hong Kong’s legal community has hailed a move by mainland China to make permanent a pilot scheme allowing lawyers to practise in Greater Bay Area cities, predicting the demand for such cross-border legal services will continue to grow.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok said on Saturday that amendments passed by the country’s top legislative body the previous day would further accelerate the development of the bay area and the lawyers already providing services under the trial scheme had contributed to the building of the rule of law.
“The national 15th five-year plan outline calls for deepening the construction of the [bay area] and accelerating the development of an international first-class bay area,” Lam said, referring to the national blueprint for economic and social development between 2026 and 2030.