NPC allows Macau, HK lawyers to work in Greater Bay cities

Macau and Hong Kong legal practitioners have been approved to work as attorneys in Guangdong province on a trial basis after acquiring mainland legal practice qualifications.
On Tuesday, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress announced that it had passed the decision to authorize the State Council to design and carry out the three-year pilot program in Greater Bay Area cities.
According to the committee, the move is part of the outline development plan for the Greater Bay and the service trade agreement between the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau.
With this trial project, Hong Kong’s legal practitioners and Macau’s practicing lawyers who have passed a practice examination for lawyers in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area will be qualified to work as attorneys in Guangdong province.
They should also acquire a practice certificate in order to participate in legal work on the mainland.
The mainland cities part of the Greater Bay are Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing.
As cited in reports, Liu Dexue, director of Macau’s Legal Affairs Bureau, remarked that allowing legal practitioners from both SARs to practice in the Greater Bay Area will “improve communication among legal practitioners from the three areas.”
The official had also previously pledged that he would promote arbitration and the training of mediators so Macau could become a center for commercial arbitration among businesses in China and the Portuguese-speaking countries. LV