Application for space in former CGO and French Mission Building

Applications from law-related organisations (LROs) are now invited for using the space in the West Wing of the former Central Government Offices (CGO) and the former French Mission Building (FMB) in Central for the provision of legal and dispute resolution services.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice (DoJ) said today (December 19) that pursuant to the policy objective of enhancing Hong Kong's status as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region, the Government will provide certain space to LROs in the West Wing of the former CGO and the entire former FMB, upon the relocation of the Court of Final Appeal from there. Together with the DoJ offices to be housed in the Main Wing, East Wing and part of West Wing of the former CGO, the area will become a legal hub at the heart of Hong Kong.

The provision of space to LROs in the legal hub will enable existing ones to develop their services and create a favourable environment to attract more international legal and dispute resolution institutions to set up offices in Hong Kong, which will further enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong as a leading centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region.

Applicants should be LROs which meet the following eligibility criteria –

(a) the applicant should normally be a non-profit-making or inter-governmental LRO which has been operating in the law-related or dispute resolution field in or outside Hong Kong;

(b) the services to be provided on the premises should be compatible with the policy objective of enhancing Hong Kong's status as a hub for legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region; and

(c) the applicant should not have received a capital grant from the Government or any other sources for constructing or buying its own premises, or subsidy of any kind from any other sources for accommodation support.

A Committee on Provision of Space in the Legal Hub chaired by the Secretary for Justice has been set up to consider matters relating to the provision of space to LROs in the legal hub. The Committee will consider the applications and advise on the selection of LROs based on assessment of the relative merits of prospective organisations.

The application form and a guide to application can be downloaded from www.doj.gov.hk/eng/public/legalhub.html. The application deadline is February 28, 2015. Enquiries about the application exercise can be made to the Special Duties Team of the DoJ on 2529 9115 or by email (legalhub@doj.gov.hk).

Ends/Friday, December 19, 2014