Hong Kong’s two legal professional bodies used the opening of the 2026 legal year in England and Wales to promote the city as a venue for international dispute resolution. The Law Society of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Bar Association attended the ceremony on October 1 and met legal figures from the UK and other jurisdictions.
The president of the Law Society of Hong Kong attended a breakfast organised by its counterpart law society in England and Wales before joining the traditional worship service in Westminster. The gathering brought together senior judicial figures, legal profession leaders and representatives of legal organisations from more than 40 jurisdictions.
The Law Society of Hong Kong said its president highlighted the importance of professional standards and presented Hong Kong’s advantages as a bilingual common-law jurisdiction under One Country, Two Systems. Separately, the chair of the Hong Kong Bar Association met the incoming president of its England and Wales counterpart to discuss shared legal issues and possible cooperation.
The Bar Association delegation also attended an evening seminar on legal issues affecting business in Asia. A Bar Association representative said arrangements between Hong Kong and mainland China for interim measures in arbitration, together with Hong Kong’s common-law system, encouraged British businesses to choose Hong Kong as their preferred dispute-resolution venue.