Hong Kong Plans to Establish International Commercial Court for Cross-Border Disputes, Judgments Enforceable in Mainland China

Odaily reported that the Hong Kong judiciary has announced plans to establish the Hong Kong International Commercial Court under the High Court, dedicated to handling large-scale, complex international and cross-border commercial disputes, with judgments enforceable in mainland China.

As a court under the High Court of Hong Kong, the High Court Ordinance and the Rules of the High Court already provide the necessary legal framework for establishing the Hong Kong International Commercial Court. The Hong Kong judiciary will issue dedicated practice directions specifying the categories of cases within the jurisdiction of the Hong Kong International Commercial Court and detailed court procedures. These include measures to simplify litigation procedures after referencing best practices from other international commercial courts, providing a more flexible appeal handling mechanism, and ensuring timely handling of cases and appeals.

The Hong Kong judiciary noted that, in line with international practices and to reflect the international and cross-jurisdictional nature of the cases, the Hong Kong International Commercial Court will extensively use technology when handling cases, including remote hearings, electronic filing, electronic document folders, and speech-to-text technology for producing transcripts, to enhance judicial efficiency. (Caixin)