Mutual Legal Assistance Arrangements between Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong SAR

To pursue the objective of effective implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle, the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong SAR Government has taken steps to develop mutual legal assistance between Chinese Mainland and the Hong Kong SAR so that disputes with cross boundary elements could be dealt with more effectively.

Under Article 95 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong SAR “may, through consultations and in accordance with law, maintain juridical relations with the judicial organs of other parts of the country, and they may render assistance to each other”. The Government of the Hong Kong SAR has concluded the following arrangements with the Chinese Mainland authorities on matters relating to mutual legal assistance, covering a wide range of areas:

1. Arrangement for Mutual Service of Judicial Documents in Civil and Commercial Proceedings between the Mainland and Hong Kong Courts, entered into force on 30 March 1999
2. Arrangement Concerning Mutual Enforcement of Arbitral Awards between the Mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, entered into force on 1 February 2000
   • Notice of the Supreme People's Court on Enforcement of Hong Kong Arbitral Awards in the Mainland
3. Arrangement on Reciprocal Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters by the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Pursuant to Choice of Court Agreements between Parties Concerned, entered into force on 1 August 2008
   • Key features of the Arrangement
   • Judicial interpretation promulgated by the Supreme People's Court on the Arrangement
   • List of Recognized Primary People’s Courts updated and incorporated into the Arrangement (published in the Gazette (G.N. 9195) on 14 December 2018)
   • List of Recognized Primary Peoples’ Courts published in the Gazette (G.N. 4289) on 25 July 2014
4. Arrangement on Mutual Taking of Evidence in Civil and Commercial Matters between the Courts of the Mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, entered into force on 1 March 2017
5. Arrangement on Reciprocal Recognition and Enforcement of Civil Judgments in Matrimonial and Family Cases by the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, entered into force on 15 February 2022
   • Please click here for a thematic webpage.
6. Arrangement on Reciprocal Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters by the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, entered into force on 29 January 2024
   • Key features of the Arrangement
   • Judicial interpretation promulgated by the Supreme People's Court on the Arrangement (available in simplified Chinese only)
   • Please click here for a thematic webpage.
7. Arrangement Concerning Mutual Assistance in Court-ordered Interim Measures in Aid of Arbitral Proceedings by the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, entered into force on 1 October 2019
   • Outcome of application to qualify under Article 2 of the Arrangement
   • List of institutions and permanent offices qualified under Article 2(1) of the Arrangement and their contact details
   • Application for interim measures in Hong Kong by parties to arbitral proceedings
   • Sample court document templates in relation to making applications for interim measures to the Mainland courts under the Arrangement (available in simplified Chinese only)
   • Other reference materials (article by the Supreme People’s Court) (available in simplified Chinese only)
8. Supplemental Arrangement Concerning Mutual Enforcement of Arbitral Awards between the Mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Articles 1 and 4 entered into force on 27 November 2020; Articles 2 and 3 entered into force on 19 May 2021)
9. The Record of Meeting of the Supreme People’s Court and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Mutual Recognition of and Assistance to Bankruptcy (Insolvency) Proceedings between the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, entered into force on 14 May 2021
   • The practical guide issued by the Department of Justice
   • The Supreme People’s Court’s Opinion on Taking Forward a Pilot Measure in relation to the Recognition of and Assistance to Insolvency Proceedings in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
10. Arrangement on Mutual Service of Judicial Documents in Civil and Commercial Proceedings between the Mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, signed on 20 April 2026 but has not yet entered into force

Mutual Legal Assistance Arrangements between Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR

Over the years, Hong Kong SAR authorities have been reached arrangements with the Macao SAR authorities on matters relating to mutual legal assistance, including:Arrangement between the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Government of the Macau Special Administrative Region on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, Arrangement Concerning Reciprocal Recognition and Enforcement of Arbitral Awards between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region and Arrangement for Mutual Service of Judicial Documents in Civil and Commercial Cases between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region.

Mutual Legal Assistance Arrangements between Chinese Mainland and Macao SAR

Chinese Mainland authorities and Macao SAR authorities have reached arrangements on matters relating to mutual legal assistance, including: Arrangement for Mutual Service of Judicial Documents and Taking of Evidence in Civil and Commercial Cases between the Mainland and the Macao Special Administrative Region (in Chinese and Portuguese only), Arrangement on Reciprocal Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters by the Courts of Mainland and of the Macao Special Administrative Region (in Chinese and Portuguese only), Arrangement Concerning Reciprocal Recognition and Enforcement of Arbitral Awards between the Mainland and the Macao Special Administrative Region (in Chinese and Portuguese only) and Arrangement Concerning Mutual Assistance in Interim Measures in Aid of Arbitral Proceedings between the Mainland and the Macao Special Administrative Region (in Chinese and Portuguese only).