CE claims courts have made solid progress in upholding substantive justice in the last year

The opening ceremony of the 2025/2026 Judicial Year, yesterday

The Chief Executive (CE), Sam Hou Fai, has claimed that over the past year, Macau’s judicial bodies “have made solid progress in upholding substantive justice, increasing judicial efficiency, and improving the judicial system.”

Sam’s words were part of a speech delivered yesterday afternoon at the Macau Cultural Center to mark the opening of the new judicial year.

Sam also noted he is “profoundly grateful and proud” that Macau now has a higher number of magistrates and court officials, claiming that never before has a government “placed so much importance on the installation of hardware and software for judicial bodies.”

Sam further remarked that Macau is currently “in an era of profound change, in which internal and external environments are becoming increasingly complex, with new development opportunities, problems, and changes constantly emerging,” which he said create new challenges and demands on judicial work.

Citing President Xi Jinping, Sam called for a “more innovative mindset and a stronger spirit of reform within the judicial sector” to uphold the principles of the rule of law while strengthening public confidence and promoting social consensus.

Sam remarked that the executive and judicial powers must cooperate mutually and strengthen cohesion and unity “to create more favorable conditions for the development and reform of the Macau SAR and better serve the Macau SAR and its residents.”

Addressing the guidelines provided by Xi in his speeches, Sam noted that it is expected that judicial bodies “firmly defend rights and safeguard the legitimate interests of public and private entities in accordance with the law; respond efficiently and effectively to the demands of social development; and continue to serve as a driving force and ‘ballast’ in stimulating economic vitality and promoting the sustainable and healthy development of society.”