Supreme People’s Court and Hong Kong Sign Agreement between the Courts of Mainland China and Hong Kong for Mutually Entrusted Evidence Collection in Civil and Commercial Cases
On the morning of December 29th, 2016, Supreme People’s Court Executive Vice President Mr. Deyong Shen and Hong Kong Secretary of Justice Mr. Guoqiang Yuan signed the Arrangement between Courts in Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for Mutually Entrusted Evidence Collection in Civil and Commercial Cases (hereinafter the “Arrangement”) in Shenzhen.
The Arrangement deals with procedural matters, the establishment of a liaison office, and the scope of its own application. Its purpose is to provide clear guidance and institutional arrangements for mutually entrusted evidence collection between Mainland China and Hong Kong. After the Arrangement comes into effect, parties in civil and commercial cases can utilize their respective local liaison offices to petition a competent court in the other region for inquiries concerning witnesses, the acquisition of documents, the detention of property, and the collection of appraisal samples. This reform is expected to greatly reduce the current obstacles that courts in the two regions face when handling civil and commercial cases with issues that intersect both regions.
— Via the Supreme People’s Court