Hong Kong lawyers can soon earn qualification to practise in Greater Bay Area under new pilot scheme
- The pilot scheme will allow lawyers in Hong Kong and Macau who pass an exam to practise civil and commercial law in the nine mainland cities of the bay area
- Hong Kong lawyers say they welcome the move, which the city’s legal profession has long lobbied for
The initiative, which also covers legal professionals in Macau, allows those who pass the test to handle civil and commercial cases in the nine Guangdong cities included in China’s ambitious bay area project, which aims to integrate the region into an economic powerhouse.
In a notice to relevant local authorities, the State Council said the move aimed to promote the development of the Greater Bay Area. The pilot scheme will run for three years.
The qualifying examination is open to permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau who, among other requirements, have to uphold the country’s constitution and the Basic Law, have five years’ experience and be able to write in Chinese and have professional proficiency in spoken Mandarin, according to the State Council notice.
Successful candidates are also subject to an annual test, and would be under the supervision of local judicial departments.
The Hong Kong legal profession has been lobbying mainland authorities for years to facilitate lawyers from the finance hub in gaining mainland legal qualifications through a special examination.
There is already a unified national qualification exam that is open to all legal practitioners, local or overseas, that allows those who pass to practise any type of law anywhere on the mainland.