The Steering Committee on Rule of Law Education chaired by Secretary for Justice Paul Lam held its first meeting today, during which it endorsed its terms of reference and the preliminary framework of the Rule of Law Education Train-the-Trainers Programme.

Mr Lam expressed his gratitude to representatives from relevant bureaus, the judicial and legal sectors as well as law schools for joining the committee to assist and advise on the co-ordination and collaboration of the work on promoting rule of law education in Hong Kong.

At the meeting, the members agreed to set up two working groups, to be chaired by Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal Patrick Chan and Legislative Council member Carmen Kan respectively, to follow up on the design of the programme's curriculum and teaching materials as well as relevant co-ordination and collaboration work.

The programme aims to nuture trainers in various sectors of the community and enhance their capability of and effectiveness in passing on correct messages of the rule of law to others, thereby promoting rule of law education on all fronts.

The curriculum and teaching materials will be developed with a focus on the rule of law. Fundamental topics related to Hong Kong's rule of law and legal system under the principle of "one country, two systems", covering the Constitution, the Basic Law, the National Security Law, the Mainland's legal system and basic elements of Hong Kong's common law system will be taught in an easy-to-understand manner.

Mr Lam said the committee will spare no effort to take forward and launch the programme as soon as possible, so as to promote consistent and correct messages on the rule of law in different sectors of the community, foster the public's self-consciousness to uphold the rule of law and jointly tell good stories of Hong Kong's rule of law.