Remarks by SJ at media session (with video)
Following are the remarks by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, at a media session at the "Rule of Law: The Best Business Environment" under Hong Kong Legal Week 2024 today (November 8):
Reporter: How effective is incorporating a new mediation clause into government contracts? What additional resources are needed and how much time or money does it actually save? And what sort of government contracts will it benefit the most?
Secretary for Justice: It would be a general policy that in the future, all government contracts will contain a mediation clause. The fact is that in case any dispute arises, the Government will try to resolve those disputes by mediation first, and only if mediation fails may we resort to litigation, arbitration or other means of dispute resolution. I am very confident that if people are willing to use more mediation to resolve disputes, that will certainly save time and cost, because I am speaking from experience.
The importance of this policy is to show to people that the Government is willing to take the lead in the hope that we can cultivate the culture in society as a whole. So whenever people encounter disputes, the first thing that they would consider is not to go to court, but instead to try to resolve disputes by mediation, by a means which in our belief is more economical, more time-saving, and resulting in a more harmonious result. So I think that is my answer to your question.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)
Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots holds first meeting
The Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots, led by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, held its first meeting today (November 8). During the meeting, Mr Cheuk led members of the Working Group to discuss how to identify and develop tourist hotspots of high popularity and with strong appeal in various districts, as well as the subsequent work plan of the Working Group.
Mr Cheuk said, "Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city where East meets West and is endowed with a wealth of tourism resources, including cuisines, unique district characteristics, stunning shorelines of Victoria Harbour, natural beauty, clansmen culture, film and television culture, historic buildings and more. Today, the Working Group discussed the prerequisites for tourist hotspots, such as whether they have Hong Kong characteristics, the potential to attract both locals and tourists, and room for developing necessary transportation and ancillary facilities. The Working Group also discussed several preliminary proposals. The Working Group will collect views and suggestions on tourist hotspots through the 18 District Offices and select suitable projects for development.
"We will seek views and gather opinions from the 18 districts and various sectors of the community to develop innovative, appealing and executable projects. We will then consolidate resources and efforts from the community to take forward the projects to put into practice the goal of 'tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong'."
He added, "The Working Group will, within six months, identify the projects to be undertaken along with a relevant timeline for implementation and major tasks to be carried out."
Other members of the Working Group include the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism (deputy leader), the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, the Secretary for Development, the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, the Secretary for Security, the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, the Director of Home Affairs, the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services and the Commissioner for Tourism.
Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots holds first meeting Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
