The Mainland-Hong Kong/Macao Closer Economic Partnership
Arrangement (CEPA), which came into force on January 1, enabled HK
lawyers to expand their business into the mainland market. On
February 9, Ms. Lin Yueming, a Hong Kong lawyer, received her
permit for taking part in internship in the Chinese mainland issued
by the Shenzhen judicial bureau. It is reported that after a
one-year internship, she may be qualified as a mainland lawyer and
run business in the mainland.
In order to carry out the Closer Economic Partnership
Arrangement between mainland and Hong Kong or Macao, the Ministry
of Justice proclaimed for the first time in November 2003 that
residents of Hong Kong and Macao, who have received the legal
professional qualification certificate, have the right to apply for
working in the mainland.
Lin Yueming and other 14 Hong Kong lawyers passed the mainland
lawyer qualification examination in 1994, but they were not allowed
to work in the mainland back then. At the end of 2003, Lin was
entranced with the news that the Hong Kong lawyers might obtain
rights to practice law in the mainland after passing the
qualification exam.
On January 16, 2004, Lin submitted an application and asked to
work at the Shenzhen branch of the Beijing Jindu Lawyer's Office as
an internship. It is reported that she is the first Hong Kong
lawyer to do her internship with a mainland law firm. On receiving
the certificate, Lin said joyfully, "Most Hong Kong lawyers expect
that the legal service market in the mainland will become
increasingly thriving. I believe there will be more and more Hong
Kong lawyers entering the law business in the mainland."
People in the legal circles hold that Lin's joining in a
Shenzhen law firm is a milestone marking the legal cooperation
between mainland and Hong Kong. Furthermore, the closer cooperation
between Shenzhen and Hong Kong will strengthen the training of
legal personnel for both sides. In the near future, there will be
an increasing number of lawyers with professional qualifications
for both the mainland and Hong Kong or Macao.
(China.org.cn by Lixiao February 13, 2004)