Vong Hin Fai highlights obstacles to arbitration

At the opening of the new judiciary year, Vong Hin Fai, president of the Macau Lawyers Association (AAM), said the association is currently struggling with limited space, posing obstacles to its mediation and arbitration services.

“The current space of the association is limited and insufficient for the installation of arbitration courts, mediation rooms, related equipment, and facilities, which constitutes a certain obstacle to the provision of efficient and professional arbitration and mediation services,” Vong said. He said the AAM also needs additional space to host training courses and related activities assigned to the association by law.

Echoing the sentiments of Public Prosecutor General Ip Son Sang and the interim president of the Court of Final Appeal before him, Song Man Lei, Vong noted the significant increase in case numbers and volume of judiciary work in recent years. He pointed out a small decline in the number of lawyers in Macau, which fell from 446 in 2022 to 444 in 2023.

He said there are currently 170 trainee lawyers in Macau, with 84 lawyers serving as private notaries and another 16 acting as certified China notaries.

However, Vong also highlighted growing opportunities for local lawyers to work in the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

“Since mid-2022, the first group of lawyers from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area have started practicing in the GBA. A total of 82 Macau lawyers have officially registered as GBA lawyers and practice in the nine cities, which not only brings new opportunities for Macau’s legal profession but also provides a wider space for the development of young lawyers and promotes the development of high-quality legal services in the GBA.”