The 2022 GBA Legal Professional Examination (GBA Exam) was successfully held in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Zhuhai today (June 11).

     The Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, said, "We are truly grateful to the Central Government's and the Ministry of Justice's full support for organising the second GBA Exam and the setting up of examination venue in Hong Kong again, thereby providing invaluable opportunities to Hong Kong legal practitioners. Through the GBA Exam, more Hong Kong legal practitioners familiar with the laws of both places will be available to provide professional services for the development of the Greater Bay Area (GBA), enabling them to have in-depth participation in the building up of the rule of law in the GBA, thereby achieving a win-win outcome."

     The GBA Exam, first held last year, is a liberalisation measure under the Agreement on Trade in Services to the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement. After passing the examination and obtaining the relevant practice certificate, Hong Kong legal practitioners, including solicitors and barristers, with accumulated legal practice experience of five years or above, are allowed to provide legal services in the nine Mainland municipalities in the GBA on specified civil and commercial legal matters to which the Mainland laws apply. They will also enjoy the same privileges and be under the same obligations as Mainland lawyers. In the nine Mainland municipalities in the GBA, they can be retained by Mainland law firms and partnership associations of Mainland law firms and Hong Kong or Macao law firms, and can also become partners of partnership law firms.

     The Ministry of Justice and the Department of Justice signed a memorandum of understanding in June 2021 on the relevant work relating to the GBA Exam to be held in Hong Kong. The DoJ is responsible for co-ordinating with the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority in handling examination-related work.

Ends/Saturday, June 11, 2022
Issued at HKT 17:33

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