Chinese judiciary

CityU helps modernise Chinese judiciary with advanced training programme

香港城市大學「中國高級法官研修班」培育中港法律專才

A highly specialised programme that provides senior judges from mainland China with a greater understanding of common law and international law drew to a close at a ceremony at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) on 19 April.

Thirty-four senior judges participated on the Advanced Programme for Chinese Senior Judges from 11 to 19 April, including vice-presidents of China’s High People’s Courts, and presidents and vice-presidents of China’s Intermediate People’s Courts from various provinces and cities. Those selected to join the programme are typically involved in settling legal cases related to overseas, Hong Kong and Macau issues.

Chinese Senior Judges attended roundtable discussions held by the Hong Kong Centre for Maritime and Transportation Law of School of Law at City University of Hong Kong

The programme has been organised by CityU’s School of Law in collaboration with the National Judges College and the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China for the last three years.

During the programme, the participants attended intensive courses on common law and the core philosophy of international law. In addition, they visited local judiciary organisations and other legal institutions, such as different levels of Hong Kong courts, The Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong SAR, The Law Society of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, and the ICAC. They met Hong Kong legal professionals such as the Hon Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma, Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal; attended roundtable discussions held by the Centre for Chinese and Comparative Law and the Hong Kong Centre for Maritime and Transportation Law, CityU; and joined a seminar co-organised by The Law Society of Hong Kong. Four participants gave talks to and exchanged views with local legal professionals.

Guest speakers during the programme included Dr Tian Lixiao, Director-General, Department of Treaties and Law, Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the HKSAR; Mr Yeung Chun Kuen, Justice of Appeal, Court of Appeal of the High Court; Professor Timothy Endicott, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Oxford; Mr Andrew Liao, SC, Member of the International Advisory Board, SLW, CityU; and Dr Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, Associate Professor of SLW, CityU, and Chairman of the Hong Kong SAR Basic Law Education Association.

Dr Liu Xinkui, Deputy Director-General of Department of Law of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government of the HKSAR; Mr Huen Wong, JP, President of the Law Society of Hong Kong, Mr Kumar Ramanathan, SC, Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association, and Professor Arthur Ellis, Provost of CityU, officiated at the closing ceremony.

“As mainland China, Hong Kong and different countries hold different interpretations and viewpoints about legal systems, the platform provided by the Advanced Programme for Chinese Senior Judges facilitates their comprehension of different legal issues, as well as consolidating the equities and benefits of different parties. SLW is glad to have jointly organised the programme with the National Judges College of the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China for the last three years. Over 30 Chinese senior judges exchange their legal knowledge with Hong Kong professionals during the programme, which has gained recognition from professional bodies in both mainland and Hong Kong. We welcome the senior judges to visit us again, and maintain our connection in legal and judicial exchange,” said Professor Wang Guiguo, Dean of SLW.

Mr Xu Chunjian, Representative of the 3rd Advanced Programme for Chinese Senior Judges and Vice-President of Guangdong High People’s Court, said he was grateful to the organisers of the programme. “We sincerely thank the National Judges College and CityU for offering us a precious experience to understand more about the judiciary system under the philosophy of ‘One country, two systems’ and the essence of different judiciary systems. We treasured the opportunity to discussing issues of common concerns with local legal and judicial professionals,” he said.

Chinese Senior Judges visited the Court of Final Appeal Group photo with The Hon Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma, Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal (front row, 4th from right); Mr Chan Siu-oi, Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal (front row, 3rd from right); Mr Yeung Chun-kuen, Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court (front row, 4th from left) and Mr Poon Siu-tung, Acting Chief District Judge (front row, 3rd from left).

rofessor Wang Guiguo, Dean & Chair Professor of Chinese and Comparative Law, School of Law at City University of Hong Kong

Mr Kumar Ramanathan, SC, Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association

中國高級法官研修班與出席結業典禮嘉賓合照。(左起) ：香港城市大學法律學院院長副院長顧敏康教授、香港城市大學法律學院院長及中國法與比較法講座教授王貴國教授、香港大律師公會主席及執業大律師Kumar Ramanathan先生、中國外交部駐港特派員公署條約法律部主任田立曉博士、香港城市大學學務副校長Arthur Ellis教授及(左六)香港律師會會長王桂壎先生

由香港城市大學（城大）法律學院與中華人民共和國最高人民法院及其所轄國家法官學院合辦的第三屆「中國高級法官研修班」在四月十九日圓滿結業。研修班迄今已連續開辦三年，為內地高級法官提供專業研修機會，並促進中港兩地司法界的交流。

最近這一期研修班於四月十一日至十九日舉行，來自中國內地各省份的主理涉外、涉港澳案件的三十四位高級法院副院長、中級法院正副院長，獲推薦前來香港參加研修。眾學員修讀了密集式法律課程，深入瞭解普通法體系和國際法精髓；造訪香港各級法院、香港律師會等相關機構並考察其運作；也造訪中華人民共和國外交部駐香港特別行政區特派員公署、香港證券及期貨事務監察委員會、廉政公署等機構。在港研修期間，眾學員與香港終審法院馬道立首席法官等人士會晤，並出席由城大的中國法與比較法中心及香港海事及運輸法研究中心主辦的座談會。此外，眾學員亦出席城大法律學院與香港律師會聯合主辦的座談會，會上有四位中國高級法官擔任講師，與香港法律界作深入交流。

研修班的導師包括：中國外交部駐港特派員公署條約法律部主任田立曉博士、牛津大學法律學院院長Timothy Endicott教授、香港高等法院上訴法庭法官楊振權先生、城大法律學院國際顧問委員會成員廖長城資深大律師、城大法律學院副教授暨香港基本法教育協會會長梁美芬博士。

中聯辦法律部副部長劉新魁博士、香港律師會會長王桂壎先生、香港大律師公會主席Kumar Ramanathan 執業大律師、城大學務副校長Arthur Ellis教授出席了研習班結業典禮，見證三十四位中國高級法官完成課程，並表達對研修課程的支持。

城大法律學院院長王貴國教授說：「中國高級法官參加『中國高級法官研修班』，可加深對不同法律文化的理解，有助維護多方面的公平和權益。城大法律學院能與中國最高人民法院及國家法官學院合作，感到很高興。學院連續三年籌辦研修班，讓內地三十多名高級法官來港與本地司法專才交流，而這個項目得到內地及香港的專業團體予以肯定。我們歡迎這批法官以後再到城大法律學院，繼續兩地的法律司法交流。」

廣東省高級人民法院徐春建副院長代表第三屆研修班結業的學員發言，他說：「衷心感謝最高人民法院、國家法官學院、中聯辦、香港城市大學及法律學院的幫助和支持。研修班讓我們得到一個寶貴的體驗，加深了解一國兩制下不同法制的精髓，與本地法律司法人員及學者交流共同關注的問題。」

中國外交部駐港特派員公署條約法律部主任田立曉博士

香港律師會會長王桂壎先生

第三屆中國高級法官研修班代表及廣東省高級人民法院徐春建副院長