The Hong Kong Mediation Lecture, presented jointly by the Department of Justice and Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, is a highlight of Hong Kong Legal Week. This year's lecture took place on 5 November 2026. After Welcome Remarks from the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam SC, Queenie Lau SC delivered a lecture titled "

Upholding Standards for the Global Capital of Mediation Inside and Outside the Courts: HKMAAL's Journey and Evolving Role

As a Council Member of the Hong Kong Mediation Accreditation Association Limited (HKMAAL) and Chairman of its Appointments Committee, Queenie traced HKMAAL's history and recent developments. These include the Mediation (Amendment) Bill 2026, which has been introduced to the Legislative Council. In certain circumstances, the Bill would allow HKMAAL to decide how many mediators there should be and/or to appoint them. This would apply when a party to an agreement to mediate applies and the parties cannot agree, or the agreed appointment procedure hasn't been followed. The Bill shows how important HKMAAL's role in Hong Kong is becoming.

Huarong Huaqiao Asset Management Co Ltd v Li Xiaopen

, where the Court considered whether a Hong Kong court could enforce a Civil Mediation Certificate issued by a Mainland court to record a settlement. Different jurisdictions have treated these certificates differently, but in Hong Kong they appear to be enforceable as judgments. Where s.5(2)(a) to (e) are satisfied, parties should arguably seek enforcement under the Mainland Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance (Cap. 596). This is because s.22(2) bars common law proceedings to recover sums payable under a Mainland judgment.

Finally, Queenie addressed how mediation and arbitration interact, a topic that has drawn recent community debate about med-arb, arb-med and arb-med-arb. She discussed the benefits and challenges of one person acting as both arbitrator and mediator, particularly around confidential information.

With an excellent attendance in person and online, the Mediation Lecture was a good opportunity for practitioners from many different backgrounds to come together to consider various aspects of mediation as Hong Kong continues to build on its culture of mediation.

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Queenie Lau SC delivers 2026 Hong Kong Mediation Lecture

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