The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On met with leaders of the three delegations who arrived in Macao for the Cross-Strait and Hong Kong, Macao High-level Judicial Forum, and gathered to discuss enhancing cross-strait judicial cooperation on 27 July.

The Chief Executive welcomed the three delegation leaders visiting Macao and expressed his wish for the success of the seminar. He said that during the 15 years after Macao’s reunification with the motherland, the Government has been strictly adhering to the Basic Law of Macao and has established its independent judicial system. He believed this deserves recognition by society.

The Chief Advisor of the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, Mr Zhou Qiang, said that the seminar held in Macao has a profound significance for judicial circles on both sides of the strait, which include mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, and will definitely promote cross-strait judicial cooperation. Mr Zhou is also China’s Chief Justice and President of the Supreme People's Court.

The Chief Convener of the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement and President of Taiwan’s Judicial Yuan, Mr Hau-Min Rai, expressed his confidence in the continued improvement in judicial reform and the contributions of judicial circles on either side of the strait to society.

Hong Kong’s Chief Justice, Mr Geoffrey Ma, said this seminar is crucial to cross-strait exchanges and interactions between judicial circles. He said he looked forward to maintaining communications and enhancing cooperation with the judicial circles of mainland China, Taiwan and Macao.

Macao’s President of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Sam Hou Fai, also participated in today’s meeting. He extended his gratitude to the Government and the judicial circles of mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong for their support and assistance in organising the event. He said the seminar is certainly beneficial to Macao’s judicial circle. It is believed that the seminar has provided a platform for the four judicial circles to learn from each other’s experiences, work closely for judicial development, and promote judicial cooperation across the strait.

The Chief Executive added that the seminar held in Macao facilitates cross-strait judicial cooperation and in-depth discussion of related issues among senior judges, and it is a significant breakthrough for Macao in the judicial field. He believes judicial cooperation is a common vision of the four judicial circles.

Also attending the meeting were Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan; Public Prosecutor-General, Mr Ip Son Sang; Chairman of the Independent Board for Nomination of Judges, Mr Lau Cheok Va; and Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive's Office, Ms O Lam.