Secretary for Justice Paul Lam and Supreme People's Court (SPC) Vice-president Mao Zhonghua yesterday signed a new arrangement to enhance the mutual service of judicial documents in civil and commercial proceedings between the Mainland and Hong Kong.

The Arrangement on Mutual Service of Judicial Documents in Civil & Commercial Proceedings between the Mainland & the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region aims to promote the alignment of legal mechanisms and rules between the two jurisdictions.

While a similar arrangement has been in place for 27 years, the volume of service requests has surged in recent years. However, the success rate under the existing system has remained relatively low.

In response to demand from the legal sector and the public, the Department of Justice (DoJ), the Judiciary and the SPC finalised the enhanced mechanism following detailed discussions.

The new arrangement introduces additional modes of service, offering greater flexibility and efficiency. These measures are designed to ensure the timely handling of cross-boundary cases and better protect the rights of parties in both places, reflecting the increasingly close judicial ties between the Mainland and Hong Kong.

The DoJ will brief the Legislative Council Panel on Administration of Justice & Legal Services on details of the new arrangement on April 27.

The new measures will come into effect once the necessary legislative procedures in Hong Kong are completed. The DoJ added that it will work closely with the Judiciary to implement the amendments as soon as practicable.