The SCMP reports
Hong Kong’s justice minister vows to boost understanding of city’s laws among residents ahead of high-level legal event, citing ‘painful lesson’ of 2019 social unrest
- Secretary for Justice Paul Lam also says officials from Southeast Asia and representatives from top international bodies to join high-level legal event this week
- On domestic front, Lam adds anti-government protests exposed residents’ lack of understanding of city’s legal system
Hong Kong’s justice minister has pledged to boost public understanding of the rule of law in response to a “painful lesson” from the 2019 social unrest, making the promise ahead of the launch of a high-level legal conference.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok also said 27 overseas guests would attend Hong Kong Legal Week, which starts on Monday, including officials from Southeast Asia and representatives from top international legal institutions.
“Most guests welcomed our invitation. Some of them cannot participate because of time clashes and other reasons. It reflects Hong Kong’s attractiveness as an international legal service centre,” he told a radio show on Sunday.
Organised by the city’s Department of Justice, the five-day conference will cover topics such as increasing access to justice for residents, promoting the rule of law and showcasing the sector’s latest technological developments.
The conference is part of a series of mega events designed to highlight Hong Kong’s reopening to the rest of the world after several years of coronavirus restrictions and the city’s social unrest in 2019.
Last week, Hong Kong hosted more than 200 of the world’s top bankers at the Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit, while the city saw the last match of the Rugby Sevens over the weekend.
Lam on Sunday said overseas participants of Legal Week would be excluded from restrictions under the city’s “0+3” travel policy, saying it was “crucial” for encouraging the exchange of views between guests during the event’s lunch forums and dinner activities.
A government spokesman added that participants would be given a blue health code on arrival in Hong Kong and allowed to join mask-off activities at the event, but they were still required to conduct rapid antigen testing before entering the venue.
