On 19 July 2022, the Nansha Primary People’s Court, Guangzhou (Nansha District People’s Court of the Guangdong Free Trade Zone) conducted an online authorization witness for a private lending dispute case, which is the first case in the Chinese Mainland represented by Ms. Kuong Iok Kao, a Macau lawyer of Kingbridge Sun Kuong Law Firm (金橋司徒鄺（南沙）聯營律師事務所).
The above-mentioned is also the first case represented by a Macau lawyer in the Chinese Mainland since legal practitioners from Hong Kong and Macau were allowed to practice law in the nine cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA).
On 11 Aug. 2020, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress authorized the State Council to carry out a pilot scheme in nine cities of Guangdong Province, allowing eligible Hong Kong and Macao legal practitioners to practice in specific areas of mainland laws upon passing a qualifying examination and obtaining the practice qualification in the GBA.
Subsequently, the General Office of the State Council released a series of pilot measures, stipulating that legal practitioners who have obtained the lawyer’s practice certificate in the GBA can deal with specific civil and commercial legal affairs (including litigation and non-litigation cases) in accordance with mainland laws in the nine mainland cities of the GBA.
On 27 June 2022, China’s Ministry of Justice issued a notice on its official website, stating that the lawyer’s practice certificate in the GBA would become accessible as of June 28, 2022. The GBA certificate is a valid document for Hong Kong and Macau legal practitioners to be allowed to practice law in the nine mainland cities of the GBA.
These governmental efforts indicate that the Chinese Mainland has opened its legal service market to Hong Kong and Macau professionals.
Cover Photo by NII on Unsplash
Contributors: CJO Staff Contributors Team
