Read More
Hong Kong has offered its expertise to assist Uzbekistan in applying principles of English common law and equity within its jurisdiction for the planned Tashkent International Financial Centre (TIFC) International Commercial Court during a trip led by Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok.
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
The delegation of legal and business professionals concluded its visit to Central Asia, which started last Monday (Aug 24), and returned to Hong Kong on Sunday.
On the final day of the trip, Lam met with senior officials from Uzbekistan’s Ministries of Economy and Finance, and Investments, Industry and Trade, along with legal representatives.
The discussion focused on the TIFC’s strategic direction, which envisions a separate common law jurisdiction operating alongside Uzbekistan’s civil law system.
Both sides exchanged detailed views on how Hong Kong’s common law strengths, its track record in international arbitration and mediation, and its cross border commercial dispute resolution experience could be precisely tailored to the TIFC’s operational needs.
Both parties explored potential cooperation in training judges, developing court procedures, and adapting legal frameworks to ensure the new court functions effectively.
Additionally, Michael Luk Hui-yin, a member of the delegation, stressed that Hong Kong legal professionals could offer multifaceted support to the new courts.
This assistance would focus particularly on advocacy practice and training, the application of common law cases and the doctrine of precedent, and helping lawyers and judges from civil law backgrounds master common law procedures and trial methods.
Luk added that the Hong Kong Bar Association has organized various advocacy and common law courses over the years, led by highly experienced teaching staff.
