In this file photo dated Aug 31, 2019, candidates take China's unified qualification exam for legal professionals in Huainan, East China's Anhui province. (PHOTO / CHINA DAILY)

Legal practitioners from Hong Kong and Macao are set to benefit from the growing demand for legal services in the Chinese mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, after the minimum experience required by the GBA Legal Professional Examination was lowered by the State Council from five years to three, with effect from Oct 5.

The pilot program that allows Hong Kong and Macao lawyers to provide civil and commercial legal services in the nine GBA mainland cities after passing the exam and obtaining a GBA practice license, which was introduced in 2020, has also been officially extended until Oct 4, 2026, according to a statement issued by the State Council on Thursday.

The DoJ also plans to organize a practical legal training course within this year in conjunction with the Supreme People's Court of The People's Republic Of China, the nation’s Ministry of Justice and the High People’s Court of Guangdong Province

The State Council’s announcement is to implement the previous decision passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the nation's top legislature, on prolonging the experimental legal program for another three years given to positive feedback.

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As of Thursday, a total of 357 lawyers from Hong Kong and Macao have obtained the GBA practice license, according to the Ministry of Justice.

Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok welcomed the decision on Friday via a statement. He thanked the central government and relevant authorities in Guangdong province for their support in extending the pilot program and lowering the GBA legal exam’s entry threshold.

It provides the city’s legal sector with more room for development in the GBA and enables them to seize the unlimited opportunities brought by the country's overall development while leveraging Hong Kong's advantages to meet the country's needs, Lam added.

Lam added that the Hong Kong SAR’s Department of Justice (DoJ) will continue to encourage more Hong Kong legal practitioners to enroll in the GBA legal exam, thereby further showcasing the advantages and achievements of the pilot legal program, and nurturing more talents with expertise in foreign-related laws who have dual practice qualifications for the country.

The DoJ also plans to organize a practical legal training course within this year in conjunction with the Supreme People's Court of The People's Republic Of China, the nation’s Ministry of Justice and the High People’s Court of Guangdong Province.

The course, combining theoretical and practical modules, aims to help Hong Kong legal practitioners practicing in the nine GBA mainland cities by enhancing their understanding of the mainland courts’ handling of different areas of civil and commercial matters.

Ambrose Lam San-keung, representative of the legal sector in the Legislative Council, said the relaxation of the experience threshold for the GBA legal exam enables young lawyers in Hong Kong to tap the opportunities emerging from the nation's rapid development. He added that it will also help them set up their businesses in the Chinese mainland at an early stage, which would lay a solid foundation for their careers.

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Overall, the revised pilot program will not only contribute to the development of the nation and the advancement of Hong Kong’s legal sector, but also play an essential role in local lawyers' career planning, Lam added.