65 h. ago ‘Hong Kong lawyers should not aim just to compete but specialise in Greater Bay Area’

Hong Kong lawyers should not think of competing head-on with mainland counterparts in the Greater Bay Area, but instead position themselves as common law specialists and collaborators in cross-border legal teams, Hong Kong Bar Association chairman Jose-Antonio Maurellet has said. His comments came during a fireside chat on the sidelines of the China Conference: Greater Bay Area event hosted by the South China Morning Post in Shenzhen on Thursday. Recent policy measures allow Hong Kong lawyers to...

Politics

65 h. ago Hong Kong lawyers urged to specialise, not just compete, in Greater Bay Area

Hong Kong lawyers should not think of competing head-on with mainland counterparts in the Greater Bay Area, but instead position themselves as common law specialists and collaborators in cross-border legal teams, Hong Kong Bar Association chairman Jose-Antonio Maurellet has said. His comments came during a fireside chat on the sidelines of the China Conference: Greater Bay Area event hosted by the South China Morning Post in Shenzhen on Thursday. Recent policy measures allow Hong Kong lawyers to...

Politics

4 d. ago Hong Kong activist loses legal fight over prison shorts ban for female inmates

A jailed activist has lost a judicial review against a Hong Kong Correctional Services Department rule that prohibits female inmates from wearing shorts in summer, with the court ruling that the women’s standard prison uniform was carefully designed and did not constitute discrimination. High Court judge Russell Coleman said on Tuesday that there was “little merit” in Chow Hang-tung’s argument that the department’s clothing policy violated her right to equality. Under the existing rules, female...

Events

5 d. ago ‘Mr and Mrs Ho’ in Hong Kong court unrepresented as assault case draws crowds

Hong Kong internet couple “Mr and Mrs Ho” still have no legal representatives in a domestic violence dispute that escalated into a criminal case, which has drawn wide public attention and filled the courtroom. The District Court heard on Tuesday that Ho Huen, 77, widely known as Mr Ho, and his 44-year-old wife, Ye Xiuding, known as Mrs Ho, had yet to hire lawyers to defend themselves after being charged in May last year with unlawfully and maliciously wounding each other. Judge Stanley Chan...

Events

5 d. ago ‘Mr and Mrs Ho’ still without lawyers in Hong Kong court as assault case draws crowds

Hong Kong internet couple “Mr and Mrs Ho” still have no legal representatives in a domestic violence dispute that escalated into a criminal case, which has drawn wide public attention and filled the courtroom. The District Court heard on Tuesday that Ho Huen, 77, widely known as Mr Ho, and his 44-year-old wife, Ye Xiuding, known as Mrs Ho, had yet to hire lawyers to defend themselves after being charged in May last year with unlawfully and maliciously wounding each other. Judge Stanley Chan...

Events

9 d. ago Access to minors’ devices should be allowed to protect them: Hong Kong legal body

Access to children’s electronic devices by adults supervising them should be allowed to protect their interests and ensure safety, according to recommendations by Hong Kong’s Law Reform Commission for proposed legislation to curb cybercrimes. But the wide-ranging recommendations, published by the commission on Friday and to be submitted to the government for consideration, stopped short of including a public interest defence to exempt whistle-blowers. The report also suggested that acts...

Politics

9 d. ago Parents ‘should be allowed access’ to minors’ devices in Hong Kong to protect them

Parents and other supervising adults should be allowed access to children’s electronic devices to protect their interests and ensure safety, according to recommendations from Hong Kong’s Law Reform Commission for proposed anti-cybercrime legislation. But the wide-ranging recommendations, published by the commission on Friday and set to be submitted to the government for consideration, stopped short of including a public interest defence to exempt whistle-blowers. The report also suggested that...

Politics

9 d. ago Hong Kong cybercrime law should treat security threats as ‘aggravating factors’

Hong Kong’s Law Reform Commission has called for acts endangering national security to be treated as aggravating factors under sweeping proposed legislation that aims to clamp down on cybercrime. Senior counsel Derek Chan Ching-lung, chairman of the commission’s cybercrime subcommittee, said on Friday that while the Beijing-imposed national security law of 2020 was sufficient to address cyber threats, the government was better placed to evaluate whether further reforms were needed. The report...

Events

1 week ago Beijing escalates rwa tokenization china clampdown with sweeping ban and legal risk for Hong Kong Web3 links

Beijing escalates rwa tokenization china clampdown with sweeping ban and legal risk for Hong Kong Web3 links  The Cryptonomist

Events

2 w. ago Hong Kong’s new legal aid chief pledges full support for Tai Po fire victims

The new head of Hong Kong’s Legal Aid Department has pledged full support to residents affected by the deadly Tai Po fire while vowing to answer society’s needs with “professional, efficient and empathetic” services. Chan Chak-ming, who assumed the post as director of legal aid on Thursday, also revealed that his department would launch a string of measures to help affected residents. “I will ensure that the Legal Aid Department makes every effort to provide all necessary legal assistance to...

Events

3 w. ago Free for all or fees for all? Hong Kong’s legal aid levels the scales

“Justice is open to all – like the Ritz” is a quote often attributed to Sir James Mathew, a 19th-century Irish judge. This is another way of saying that while in theory justice and the courts are open to everyone, in practice only those who can afford to pay the hefty fees can get their day in court. The adversarial system, which is the model adopted in common law jurisdictions, has proved extremely popular in many countries and regions. In particular, cross-examination, which has sometimes been...

Politics

3 w. ago Hong Kong Red Cross unveils HK$420 million relief fund for Tai Po fire victims

Hong Kong Red Cross has raised HK$420 million (US$54 million) to support victims of the deadly Tai Po blaze, launching a three-to-five-year relief plan covering the financial, mental health and medical needs of those affected. Almost a month after the fire at Wang Fuk Court – which killed at least 161 people, injured dozens and displaced nearly 5,000 – the NGO said on Tuesday that it aimed not only to help victims rebuild their lives, but also to assist the whole of Hong Kong in recovering from...

Events