Mainland expands cases Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan lawyers can handle

The Ministry of Justice announced on Wednesday to further expand the scope of cross-Strait, Hong Kong- and Macao-related civil cases that can be represented by lawyers from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan who hold the mainland legal professional qualification and mainland lawyer's practice certificate.

Following the expansion, these lawyers are now authorized to handle 299 types of civil cases across fields, including maritime and admiralty disputes, personality right disputes, real right disputes, as well as intellectual property and competition disputes.

The case scope for lawyers practicing in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area shall align with the requirements for Hong Kong and Macao lawyers representing cases in mainland courts. Besides, the scope of civil cases that GBA lawyers can handle in the nine mainland cities of the GBA has been expanded simultaneously, according to the ministry.

The ministry noted that this move has great significance to enable lawyers from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan to better leverage their professional strengths and actively participate in the country's rule of law development.

Expanding the case scope for Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan lawyers is a practical measure to effectively respond to the demand of these lawyers for business expansion, and encourages and supports them to better integrate into the national development landscape, it said.

As of now, over 760 legal professionals from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan have been approved to practice law on the mainland. More than 630 lawyers from Hong Kong and Macao have obtained the GBA lawyer's practice certificate.

In recent years, the ministry has continuously expanded the opening-up of legal services to Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. It has further implemented the pilot program for lawyers practicing in the GBA, strengthened rule of law exchanges and cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.

Zhang Han, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a regular news conference held on Wednesday that the new measure will create more opportunities and broader space for Taiwan's legal professionals to pursue employment and development on the mainland and participate in the cross-Strait legal market.

The mainland has continuously improved systems and policies to promote cross-Strait economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation, encouraging and supporting more Taiwan compatriots to participate in the mainland's economic and social development and share the opportunities and achievements of Chinese modernization, she said.