The initiative to establish the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy (Academy) was first mentioned in the Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address. Capitalizing on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s distinctive advantages under the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, and enjoying strong support of the Motherland and being closely connected to the world, the Academy was officially launched on 8 November 2024 during the 2024 Hong Kong Legal Week.

The Academy will make good use of Hong Kong’s bilingual common law system and international status, to serve as a capacity-building, as well as knowledge and experience-sharing platform for legal professionals in Hong Kong, the Mainland China and other jurisdictions, in particular those along the “Belt and Road”. The Academy regularly organizes practical legal courses, seminars and international exchange programmes to promote international legal talent exchanges. This will help consolidate Hong Kong’s strategic position as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre in the Asia-Pacific region, establish Hong Kong as a capacity-building hub, and actively participate in the next decade of the “Belt and Road” Initiative, contributing to the country’s efforts to promote the construction of the rule of law.

To take forward this initiative, the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Office and the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Expert Committee were set up in October 2024. The Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Expert Committee consists of 3 advisory boards, comprising 17 eminent legal experts and scholars from renowned international, Mainland and local legal organisations, and universities as members to advise the Department of Justice of the HKSAR Government on developing the training and capacity-building programmes and strategies.