Reforming Law Reform : perspectives from Hong Kong and beyond by
As a special administrative region of China, Hong Kong has its own legal system rooted in the common law. Reforms to this system take into account Hong Kong’s unique conditions as an international city and draw widely on practices around the world. Since 1980, recommendations from a Law Reform Commission, chaired by the Secretary for Justice, have resulted in comprehensive revisions in key areas of law, ranging from commercial arbitration and interception of communications to divorce and copyright.
Recently, however, the government has been slow to act on the Commission’s recommendations. Questions have also arisen about whether the Commission—under-resourced, part-time and government-led—can really meet the needs of an increasingly sophisticated society. Is law reform itself also in need of reform? This collection of essays by distinguished experts from around the world seeks answers to the question. The book explores the varied experience of law reform in Hong Kong and other common law jurisdictions and makes recommendations for strengthening the process of law reform both in Hong Kong and elsewhere.
The Law Reform Commission of Hong Kong was established in January 1980. The Commission considers for reform those aspects of the laws of Hong Kong which are referred to it by the Secretary for Justice or the Chief Justice - including commercial arbitration, interception of communications, privity of contract, divorce and fraud.