Quotes from legal professionals showing support to the Department of Justice’s initiatives in the Chief Executive’s 2020 Policy Address

“It is encouraging for us to hear from the 2020 Policy Address that apart from the establishment of the LawTech Fund and the COVID-19 Online Dispute Resolution Scheme, Hong Kong, as an international legal hub, will further enhance the capability of its legal profession by harnessing modern technology in the provision of legal and dispute resolution services.” (Dr Thomas So, JP, Partner, Mayer Brown, HKSAR)

“The section of New Impetus to the Economy under the Chief Executive’s 2020 Policy Address (Policy Address) points out that works relating to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will be pressed ahead.
Under the liberalisation measures for early and pilot implementation in the Greater Bay Area, arrangements on partnership association, special examination for legal practitioners and employment of Hong Kong legal practitioners as legal consultants by Mainland law firms have already commenced.
I support the Department of Justice to continue to implement the measures of the Policy Address to bring more opportunities for business expansion to Hong Kong's legal and dispute resolution sectors in the Greater Bay Area, thereby not only furthering communication and collaboration of the lawyers in these two jurisdictions, but also enhancing our status as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region.” (Edward Liu, Legal Director of Hill Dickinson Hong Kong)

“I am delighted to learn that the Chief Executive in her Policy Address outlined the Department of Justice’s initiative on the development of Hong Kong Legal Cloud, an advanced technology which aims to provide secure and reliable data storage services for the local legal and dispute resolution sector.
I support the Department of Justice to keep pace with global changes by capitialising on modern technology with a view to consolidating our role as an international legal hub for legal, deal-making and dispute resolution services.” (Ronald Sum, Head of Dispute Resolution Asia, Addleshaw Goddard (Hong Kong) LLP; Member of the Steering Committee on Mediation & Chairman of the Public Education and Publicity Sub-Committee)

"Quite clearly, young people are the future of Hong Kong, Belonging to the legal sector, I fully support the efforts to strengthen education on the rule of law. The Department of Justice's 10-year initiative, "Vision 2030 for Rule of Law", will teach young people about the rule of law and also promote their awareness of law-abiding issues, through collaboration with the various stakeholders. I feel sure the programme will enhance the community's proper understanding of the rule of law, and of how it operates in practice." (I Grenville Cross SBS, SC, Vice-Chairman (Senate) at The International Association of Prosecutors)

“As enthusiastic adopters of legal tech, particularly in dispute resolution, our firm is excited by the new Legal Cloud for Hong Kong announced in the Chief Executive’s 2020 Policy Address. This is a worthy investment, both in the new digital law technology shaping the future of our profession, and in Hong Kong’s long-term strength as a dispute resolution hub.” (Justin D’Agostino, CEO, Herbert Smith Freehills)