Landmark judge training agreement between CityU, Supreme People’s Court and National Judges College signed in Beijing

City University of Hong Kong (CityU), the Supreme People’s Court of PRC and National Judges College today (29 February) hold an agreement signing ceremony for “LLM programme for mainland judges” at the PRC’s Supreme Court in Beijing. CityU will become the only judge training base outside mainland China assisting the National Judges College in the provision of advanced legal training for serving judges.

This is the first time the Supreme Court of the PRC and National Judges College have collaborated with an academic institution to provide training for mainland judges at the Master’s degree level. The courses, to be offered from this September, will enhance the calibre of mainland judges and assist the Supreme People’s Court in implementing its policy of improving the professionalism of the judiciary. The collaboration reflects the high regard of CityU’s courses in law.

Professor Richard Ho Yan-ki, Acting President of CityU, said, “The Supreme Court of the PRC is the top judicial institution. As a unit of the Supreme Court, the National Judges College is responsible for the training of judges and study of judicial cases. In just ten years, it has grown from an amateur law school and judge training centre to a modern, organised and professional law institution. It is the alma mater of senior judges with branch units in all 26 provinces, cities and autonomous regions of the mainland.”

“CityU will not only enhance the legal knowledge of mainland judges but also help them understand the viewpoints and practices of international legal systems. Mainland judges will have the opportunity to improve their level of professionalism to better serve China’s civil and economic development,” said Professor Ho.

In this collaboration with the National Judges College, CityU’s School of Law will design several customised Master’s degree courses for as many as 30 judges selected and recommended by the College under the advice of the Supreme People’s Court. CityU will arrange for the students to enrol in courses at prestigious institutions in the United States and United Kingdom for one month.

Mr Wan Exiang, Vice-President of the Supreme People’s Court, expressed his delight with the collaboration and thanked CityU for providing training for mainland judges. “CityU is a renowned international tertiary institution and it is also an institution recognised by the Ministry of Education,” said Mr Wan. “The School of Law at CityU excels with its strong team of outstanding academics and its comprehensive experience in providing training services. The LLM programmes for mainland judges reflect the objective of sharing education resources and revamping the training programmes of the Supreme Court of the PRC.”

The mainland currently has around 200,000 judges posted in more than 3,000 courts. Since 2003, under the policy of “professionalising judges” implemented by the judiciary across the country, any judges who have not obtained the required academic qualification or passed the compulsory professional training in the stipulated time will have their appointment terminated according to statutory procedures. All new judges must pass the common judicial examination organised by the state and the common examination of the high court. New judges also receive specialised professional training.

Chair Professor Wang Guiguo, Dean of CityU’s School of Law, said, “The training of mainland judges has now entered a more advanced stage. Mainland judges need not only master Chinese laws, but also understand and compare overseas legal systems. Comparative law has always been one of the strengths of CityU. Also, as we have close ties with many renowned overseas institutions, we can make arrangements for mainland judges to study at those institutions for one month so they can compare the different viewpoints and judicial procedures in overseas countries. At the same time, our local law students will also benefit from studying with mainland judges.”

In addition, the School signed another agreement for “Advanced legal training for mainland senior judges”, with a view to providing judiciary training. The one-month course will be held once or twice a year, with 30 to 35 senior judges selected and recommended by the National Judges College participating in the course in Hong Kong.

Established in 1997 as a unit of the Supreme People’s Court, the National Judges College is responsible for the training of judges and study of judicial cases. With branch units at Supreme Courts in all 26 provinces across the country, the college has provided training to more than 30,000 judges.

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Media enquiries: Jo Kam, Communications Office, CityU (3442 6506 or 6033 5947)