The Secretary for Justice, Mr Rimsky Yuen, SC, will visit Qianhai in Shenzhen tomorrow (May 28) to attend the opening ceremony of the Court-Connected Mediation Center of the Shenzhen Qianhai Cooperation Zone People's Court and the first ever Hong Kong-related commercial mediation forum in Qianhai.

Mr Yuen will speak at the opening ceremony of the Court-Connected Mediation Center. Established by the Shenzhen Qianhai Cooperation Zone People's Court, the Court-Connected Mediation Center is responsible for mediation before and during litigation. The centre will introduce a neutral third-party evaluation mechanism for cases involving Hong Kong parties, under which a neutral third party will, according to the circumstances of cases, help clarify the applicable Hong Kong laws, the evidence needed and the possible verdicts from a neutral and professional point of view. As a result, both parties concerned can better identify and understand the Hong Kong legal issues involved so as to narrow the disputes between them. The parties can also make an informed decision on resorting to conciliation or other reasonable means to resolve disputes. The centre will engage Hong Kong mediators in mediation.

Jointly organised by the Shenzhen Qianhai Cooperation Zone People's Court, the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration, the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in Shenzhen Qianhai, the Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau Mediation Alliance, and the Joint Mediation Helpline Office, the Hong Kong-related commercial mediation forum will explore diversified models of dispute resolution and the latest developments of commercial mediation worldwide as well as in Hong Kong and Qianhai.

Mr Yuen will return to Hong Kong in the evening on the same day.

Ends/Friday, May 27, 2016