Due to historical reasons, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) uniquely combines three legal systems under the well-known concept of “one country, two systems”. Since the launch of the GBA initiative, there has been growing attention on how to harmonize the legal systems of Hong Kong and Macao with that of mainland China. However, a fundamental question remains underexplored: what kind of legal harmonization does the GBA initiative truly aim to achieve? This talk will discuss the legal harmonization process within the GBA and the various “tools” that can be employed to achieve harmonization for the region. In particular, the speaker will discuss the newly enacted Macau Trust Law, analyzing its convergences and divergences with the Chinese Trust Law. Through this case study of the Macao Trust Law, the speaker will demonstrate how legal transplantation can play a significant role in advancing legal harmonization in the GBA, which has been largely overlooked in the current GBA initiative.

About the Speaker: Prof. Siyi Lin, Assistant Professor, CUHK LAW

*The Law Society of Hong Kong has awarded this seminar 1 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) point.

Register here by 10:00am, 22 October 2024 to attend the seminar.