Programme Overview
The common law is a dynamic and exciting legal system which unites millions of people across the world, in such varied cultures as Hong Kong, Singapore, England, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, and across the United States. This course will furnish students with substantive knowledge of Hong Kong law in some core common law subjects, and further develop the skills necessary to engage with the common law tradition more widely. Through the electives, students are given an opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the common law, or complement it with the study of new subjects.
Introduction and Welcome
Deputy Programme Director (LLM Common Law)
The common law originated in England, but it now comprises the legal systems of a third of the world’s population. Lawyers, judges, and legal officials of all kinds throughout the world today are called upon to implement rules and procedures that have origins in common law precedents.
As a global financial and economic centre and a common law jurisdiction within the civil law state of China, Hong Kong is a particularly fascinating and important place to study law. It presents a unique experience not to be found anywhere else globally.
Students in the LLM in Common Law Programme will gain expertise in the institutions, procedures, substantive law and ongoing developments of the common law world. They can call upon these skills and knowledge whether they intend to work or go on to further study in either common or civil law jurisdictions. Most importantly, students who complete the LLM in Common Law Programme will diversify their resumés and professional profiles, making them highly desirable both within China and internationally.
We look forward to welcoming you to Hong Kong!
Yours sincerely,
Admission Requirements
All applicants must fulfill the General Admission Requirements and the English Language Proficiency Requirement prescribed by the University’s
In addition applicants must have:
- a qualification to practise law in the jurisdiction of the student’s residence; or
- a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree or a degree of equivalent standing (normally in a non common law jurisdiction); or
- a Bachelor’s degree in a non-law subject with substantial law-related working experience.
As many areas of professional activity are related to law, we welcome applications from applicants who work in the areas of commerce, accountancy, social work, public administration, and similar
Applicants whose undergraduate studies were not conducted and assessed in English are required to take an appropriate English language proficiency test and achieve a sufficient score, such as a score of 570 or above in TOEFL (Paper Based Test), 88 or above in TOEFL (Internet-Based Test); Band 6.5 or better in IELTS; or equivalent. The test results must be obtained not more than two years prior to the date of applying to join the LLM Programme.
Application Deadlines for 2026-27
31 January 2026 (first round)
28 February 2026 (second round)
10 April 2026 (third round)
Programme Information
- Medium of Instruction: English
- Campus: The CUHK Graduate Law Centre, 2/F, Bank of America Tower, Central.
Programme Duration
Full-time mode:
one year (normative study period) – two years (maximum study period).
Part-time mode:
two years (normative study period) – three years (maximum study period).
Programme Requirements
24 units: including 12 units of required courses and 12 units of elective courses. Students should pass all the assessments with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in order to be recommended for graduation.
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Delivery mode
A 3-unit course will usually have three teaching hours per week.
Classes are held during daytime and evenings of weekdays and daytime
Classes will incorporate a mix of lectures, seminars, tutorials, presentations and
Courses
Required Courses:
- Common Law: Origins and Development
- This foundational course introduces students to the history and background of the common law, as well its core concepts, institutions, and practices. It is intended to provide an overall framework that can prepare students for the more detailed study of specific areas of law.
- Principles of Contract
- This course introduces students to the concepts and key precedents of contract law in common law jurisdictions. It will aid in understanding and making use of the unique jurisprudence of contract that structures legal regulation of business and commercial activity across the common law world.
- Principles of Criminal Law
- This course provides an overview of the criminal law and criminal procedure norms that have emerged from the common law tradition. The definitions of crimes and criminal conduct, and the rights of criminal suspects, will be explained in detail. Students will become familiar with the functioning of criminal justice institutions in common law jurisdictions.
- Principles of Tort
- The Principles of Tort course explores the important and highly unique approach to civil liability actions in common law jurisdictions, providing students with an overview of this important area of law. Students will be introduced to the practical and contextual dimensions of tort doctrine, as well as the factors that have contributed to its growth and development over time.
- Artificial Intelligence and the Common Law
- Common Law: Globalization and Convergence
- In this course, students will explore how Common Law has been carried into many parts of the world, and learn how in the modern state, legislated and administrative rules have greatly displaced judicially crafted solutions for the majority of legal problems. Students will learn how colonial rules interacted with native Chinese law in Hong Kong, the difficulties of transplanting rules from one culture into another, and some aspects of the second-generation review of transplanted rules currently taking place. The course should particularly assist students in understanding and evaluating the policy thinking behind the transplanting of foreign models or laws into China, Hong Kong or another jurisdiction. It should also give students some insight into the legal history of Hong Kong.
- Comparative Constitutional Law
- This course will provide a methodological framework for comparing constitutional architectures and to provide an understanding of the basic concepts of constitutional law; introduce the various types of political regimes by studying their principal institutions and their functioning; analyze the various forms of relationship between the executive authority, the legislative power and the judiciary and how they affect the nature of the political regime and protection of human rights.
- Comparative Legal Traditions
- This course is designed to give credit to the growing practical significance of comparative legal work. Through interactive teaching methods students will acquire specialised knowledge in the area of comparative law. Special emphasis is placed on the critical analysis of traditional concepts and the development of new perspectives in this area. Topics covered include: the concepts of comparative law and its significance in practice; the methods of comparative law; the history of comparative law; the (traditional) euro-centric approach of comparative law; the (traditional) private law-centred approach of comparative law; the legal family concept; mixed and harmonised legal systems; private law concepts; constitutional and administrative law concepts; and criminal law legal concepts.
- Colonial Governance and the Rule of Law
- This course will explore the evolution of modern legal orders, with a focus on the connections between contemporary law, empire, European colonization and the development of modern states. Alongside the lectures and discussions, students will develop independent research projects, which they will have a chance to present and share in the latter part of the course.
- Copyright, Digital Subject Matter and Information Technology
- This course will survey copyright issues pertaining to digital subject matter, including multi media works, computer software, intranet and internet communications, from a global comparative perspective. Whether there is copyright subsistence and in what, whether infringement occurs and where, by whom (facilitator or browser, ‘down loader’ or ‘up loader’) what jurisdiction’s (or jurisdictions’) law governs, and the scope of implied licences are all considered. The US Digital Millennium Copyright Act 1998 and similar legislation in various jurisdictions, are considered as are the file sharing (P2P) cases, safe harbour legislation and procedures and other defences.
- Crime and the Sanctioning Process
- The purpose of this course is to educate students to think critically about the operation of the criminal justice system. Major aspects of the criminal process will be studied, and the focus throughout will be to contrast the theory of criminal law/criminal process with law in practice. The divergence between theory and practice will provide the springboard to encourage students to explore the nature of legal rules, the culture of criminal justice organisations, and how the socio-political context in which criminal law operates influences the treatment of various groups within the criminal process. Areas of study will include criminal statistics, police powers of arrest, search, detention and interrogation, the structure, organisation and work practices of prosecutors and defence lawyers, plea bargaining, the operation of prisons, and the effectiveness of non-custodial punishments.
- Cyberlaw and Intellectual Property: Principles and Practice
- This course of Cyberlaw (or Internet law) covers the legal issues related to use of the Internet. It will begin by considering the origins and development of information technology in the booming Internet economy, moving on to consider, through the key issue of cyber property, both how the law has responded to the challenges of information technologies, and the extent to which legal issues have shaped the development of information society policy. Finally, this course provides a strong practical training by devoting lectures to the dispute settlement of internet domain disputes with focus on the Hong Kong practice.
- Global Issues in Law
- This course provides an opportunity for students to study select global issues in law. Topics vary according to the area of expertise of the course leader and the interests of the class. The aim of the course is to encourage students to think like global lawyers. Upon completion of the course, students should be able to deal with different legal systems and legal traditions.
- History, Culture, and the Law
- This course examines the links between law, history, and culture. Topics covered include: the Confucianist and anti-legalist traditions in China; the Greek/Roman law beginnings of the Western civil and common law traditions; the subsequent development of systems of law and government in both China and the West; and an introduction to jurisprudential, sociological, and political science theories in relation to these. The course situates itself squarely within the history and culture of Hong Kong society so that students gain a broader understanding of history, culture, and law in Hong Kong’s Chinese context.
- Issues in Contract
- This course builds upon LAWS6021 Principles of Contract. By incorporating a more extended range of mandatory readings than undergraduate courses of similar length and a more research-focused assessment regime, this course is designed specifically for students at the postgraduate level who, apart from LAWS6021, have not previously studied the law of contracts as it applies in a common law jurisdiction. Throughout the course students will be expected to continue evaluating and discussing the part played by contracts in facilitating economic and social co-ordination in a free community with particular reference to Hong Kong’s context at a level appropriate for postgraduate studies.
- Issues in Criminal Law
- This course builds upon LAWS6022 Principles of Criminal Law. Drawing on a more extended range of compulsory readings than undergraduate courses of similar length and a more research-focused assessment regime, this course is designed specifically for students at the postgraduate level who, apart from LAWS6022, have not previously studied criminal law as it applies in a common law jurisdiction. Throughout the course students will be expected to deepen their understanding of the role of criminal law in society and the techniques used by the Common Law to resolve new fact situations and problems. The course involves a more extensive and in-depth exploration of the following topics: murder and manslaughter; offences of strict liability; corporate crime; fraud; blackmail; kidnapping; rape; and cyber crime. Special regard will be paid to areas of topical concern.
- Issues in Tort
- This course builds upon LAWS6023 Principles of Tort. Throughout the course students will be expected to continue evaluating and discussing the part played by torts in maintaining and promoting (i) social and economic order; and (ii) responsible and respectful conduct, based on the community’s own customs, traditions, and expectations. Students will: extend and deepen their understanding of several areas of tort law while being further introduced to the common law’s methods, techniques, and core values; and develop their problem-solving, research, writing, and advocacy skills to a level appropriate for postgraduate study. This course involves a more extensive and in-depth exploration of the following topics: defamation; breach of statutory duty; nuisance; trespass (to persons, to land, and to goods); detinue; conversion; defences to intentional torts; and remedies for intentional torts.
- Principles of Art, Antiquities, Cultural Heritage and the Law
- In recent years the term “cultural heritage” has been used in many domestic laws, international agreements, conventions and treaties, and academic works to refer indiscriminately to art and antiquities. This course considers the meaning of the terms “art”, “antiquities” and “cultural heritage” and the legal frameworks which affect them in Hong Kong and internationally. The course will consider issues affecting the ownership, transfer and protection of art, antiquities and cultural heritage in Hong Kong and the development of international measures intended to protect art, antiquities and cultural heritage.
- Principles of Intellectual Property
- This course examines the principles underlying the group of causes of action which has become known as intellectual property. By incorporating a more extended range of mandatory readings than undergraduate courses of similar length and a more research-focused assessment regime, this course is designed specifically for students at the postgraduate level who have not previously studied Hong Kong intellectual property law. Topics covered include: major international treaties such as World Trade Organisation (WTO) Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) Agreement; Paris, Berne and other major conventions; and the causes of action as listed above. The course will take a contextual approach placing the study of intellectual property within the history and culture of Hong Kong society so that students gain a broader understanding of the role of intellectual property in Hong Kong’s Common Law in a Chinese context.
- Principles of Unjust Enrichment
- First officially recognized in 1990, this is a new cause of action to stand alongside contract and tort in the law of obligations. This is a new and interesting area of contemporary legal development. The following topics will be covered during this course: the place of unjust enrichment in the law of obligations; remedies; subrogation; what counts as an enrichment; how the enrichment must be at the expense of the plaintiff; unjust factors such as mistake, duress, undue influence, exploitation of weakness, failure of consideration, legal compulsion, public authority ultra vires activity, ignorance, and necessity; defences; and controversies such as the nature of tracing, the availability of proprietary remedies, and the question of leapfrogging.
- Transnational Law After Empire
- In this course, the connections between law, empire, and decolonisation / self-determination will be examined. The course has three basic parts. In Part I, we will establish an understanding of the basic concepts involved in the relationship between law and colonial systems. The historical background of colonial legal systems and their current and former international legal status will also be examined. In Part II, the course will look in more detail at the specific legal standards that developed under the conditions of colonialism, e.g. those related to slavery, restricted definitions of citizenship, capacity for territorial acquisition and native title, and others. Related academic theories and detailed historical studies will also be introduced. Part III, finally, will address the various forms that “decolonisation” has taken at the domestic and international levels, and ask students to develop their own arguments regarding the best approach for legal systems transitioning towards self-determination.
Students may select the above LLM in Common Law Elective Courses or any other approved courses offered under the JD or LLM Programmes. Students who would like to undertake an independent research project in an area of significant personal interest may choose Independent Research or Independent Research Dissertation. The offering of an elective course in any term will depend on teacher availability and sufficient student interest.
Expertise
Professor Ryan Mitchell is an Assistant Professor and the Deputy Director of the LLM in Common Law Programme. His areas of expertise include the history and theory of international law, Chinese law, legal history, and comparative public law. His current research focuses on the development and transformation of conceptions of sovereignty in modern legal thought, particularly in the context of the transmission of public law concepts across continental European and East Asian jurisdictions. He holds a Ph.D. in law awarded with distinction from Yale University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School, and has been member of the State Bar of California since 2013.
Professor Roberts is an Assistant Professor and the Deputy Director of the LLB Programme at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Professor Roberts’ academic interests include comparative approaches to human rights, procedural issues before human rights tribunals, the relationship between international sanctions regimes and public international law, and approaches to systemic and structural harms within national and international law. His current research focuses on the historical evolution of public order legality in nineteenth and early twentieth century Britain and the British Empire.
In addition to his academic work, Professor Roberts has worked as an expert legal consultant addressing issues such as constitutional and legal reform, the rule of law and human rights standards with intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, the International Federation for Human Rights, Avocats Sans Frontières, the International Service for Human Rights, the International Refugee Assistance Project, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, the Arab Center for the Promotion of Human Rights, Transparency Maldives, and many others. Professor Roberts is currently serving as a senior adviser to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.
Dr. Bryan Druzin is Associate Professor of law at the Chinese University of Hong Kong where he teaches analytical jurisprudence and legal philosophy. He has held teaching positions at King’s College London and Brunel University London. He holds a B.A., LL.B., and LL.M. from the University of British Columbia and a PhD in law from King’s College London. Dr. Druzin is an internationally recognized legal theorist whose work focuses on the bottom-up, decentralized emergence of law and governance. He has published widely with leading U.S. law schools (Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, Duke, Georgetown, UPenn, etc.), top international peer-reviewed journals, and has contributed to several edited volumes published by Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press.
Prof. Hargreaves joined the Faculty in 2013 following the completion of his doctorate in law at the University of Toronto, where his thesis considered the privacy and legal implications of new mapping technologies that record public space for commercial purposes. It was supported by a major grant from the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Prof. Hargreaves also holds a BCL from Oxford University, where his dissertation considered the interaction between proposed privacy standards in APEC and EU laws regulating the outward flow of personal data to non-European states. He also holds a JD from Osgoode Hall Law School and a BA in politics & sociology from McGill University.
Prior to joining CUHK, Prof. Hargreaves taught at Osgoode Hall Law School, worked as a policy advisor to the Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic, and practiced law for the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General in the constitutional law & policy branch. His areas of research and teaching reflect this background, with a dual focus on information & privacy law and constitutional law & legal theory.
Professor David DONALD (Emeritus)
David Donald has been a Professor in the Faculty of Law at The Chinese University of Hong Kong since 2008. In 2010, he founded the CUHK Centre for Financial Regulation and Economic Development and served as its executive director until 2013, and again from 2016. In 2014 he founded the CUHK New Ventures Legal Team (NVLT), a clinical support group for the University’s Pre-Incubation Centre for startup companies. In 2017 NVLT was turned into the New Ventures Legal Clinic in conjunction with the CUHK Entrepreneurship Initiative. He has served in many administrative capacities, including as a member of the University Senate Committee on Student Discipline and director of the Faculty of Law’s PhD and MPhil Programmes.
From 2003 until 2008, David taught at the Institute for Law and Finance of the Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany. For the decade preceding that he worked as a commercial, corporate and securities lawyer in Washington, Milan, Rome and Frankfurt, serving the investment, acquisition and financing activities of multinational enterprises and as a member of the legal team that created the first international funds transfer system for the Euro.
Study options
Students may take elective courses offered in other LLM Programmes and the JD Programme offered by CUHK LAW subject to availability of places.
Further study options
Additional learning & development opportunities
Financial Information
Tuition Fees
For the academic year of 2026-27, the tuition fee is HK$192,000 per programme within normative study period. For full-time students, the tuition fee is payable by 2 instalments at the beginning of each term. For part-time students, the tuition fee is payable by 4 instalments at the beginning of each term.
Student Housing
There is a shortage of on campus student accommodation for non-local postgraduate students. When relocating to Hong Kong students are advised they will need to rely on (readily-available) private off-campus accommodation during their studies.
Guest Lectures and Conferences
Scholarships and Prizes
For newly admitted students/applicants
For current students
- Faculty of Law Postgraduate Scholarships for Academic Excellence 2025/26
- Chartered Tax Adviser Prize for International Taxation
- The Hong Kong Institute of Trade Mark Practitioners Prize for Intellectual Property
- The Asian Patent Attorneys Association (Hong Kong Group) Prizes for Intellectual Property Law
- Lee Hysan Foundation Postgraduate Studentships for Mainland China Students
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There are CEF reimbursables courses. More details will be announced upon commencement of studies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Applicants
Yes. However, you can only study one programme at a time. Therefore, if more than one of your applications are successful you must choose only
No. The application fee once paid is
Yes. Any application received without the payment of the application fee will not be processed until the application fee
Yes. Students may apply for admission before completion of a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) provided that they are in the final year of study. In this situation any offer will be made subject to the condition that all requirements for graduation in the Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) and for admission to the LLM programme are satisfied prior to commencing the
Yes. You can apply for admission to join a LLM programme before fulfilling the English Language Proficiency Requirement, but you must fulfill the Requirement and provide documentary proof prior to commencing the LLM programme. Any admission offer will be made conditional on you fulfilling the English Language
No. The Hong Kong Immigration Department has advised that in general it is unlikely that they will issue student visas to non-local applicants who intend to study part-time in Hong Kong. Therefore non-local students are strongly advised to study full-time in order to facilitate their student
Your official university transcript and confidential recommendations should be sent directly from your university and referees to CUHK LAW in
CUHK LAW selects applicants on the basis of academic merit. CUHK LAW welcomes applications from applicants around the world based upon the philosophy that diversity enriches the
No. However, applicants who do not possess a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) obtained in Hong Kong or in an English-speaking country are required to fulfill the English Language Proficiency Requirement of the
Successful Applicants and Newly-admitted Students
No. On receipt of formal offers students will need to make their own arrangements for the payment of the deposit should they wish
Meanwhile, eligible local applicants may apply for financial support under Non-means-tested Loan Scheme from
Overseas students may check with organisations, government authorities etc, of their home countries if there is any financial
For information on other scholarships, please click here.
Application materials are disposed of after the end of each admission exercise. New applications will be
Newly admitted students are required to pay the tuition fees on or before the payment due date stated in the debit note in the admission package. Current students will receive a debit note at the beginning of each term, and are required to settle the tuition fees on or before the payment
Students who have not completed the programme requirements within the normative study period may apply to postpone the expected graduation date by submitting the Application Form for Change of Expected Graduation Date to CUHK LAW. The maximum extension is up to one year. The application is subject to the approval of CUHK LAW. The academic status of those students studying outside the normative study period will become “continuing”. Extra tuition fees may be charged for continuing students and the fee level for continuing student is subject to
Applicants should refer to the website of the Immigration Department for details concerning employment
What Our Students Say
"I have a background in both the Law and various Business fields. I chose to focus my career on China. As such, doing an LLM in Chinese Business Law at CUHK was the best decision I have ever made. The programme provided me with insight regarding Chinese business law. All of the professors and faculty members were very nice and internationally qualified. They were more than willing to help me enhance my legal knowledge and help prepare me for the professional world. I found the courses to be very practical and highly relevant to my career. In addition, the Graduate Law Center, where the courses are held, is located in a very convenient area in the business district of Hong Kong. Learning Chinese Business Law in Hong Kong, which is one of the world’s leading financial hubs and one of the leading economic hubs of Asia, was truly an invaluable experience for me."
"Having previously studied in a common law jurisdiction, the LLM in Chinese Business Law Programme has offered me an interesting comparison of how different legal systems would affect business decision-making in different countries. Importantly, the LLM exposes me not only to PRC law, but also to the principles of European continental laws.
Classes are always interactive and the professors are very approachable and supportive. On top of that, I really appreciate the diversified and refreshing assessment methods adopted in class such as mock client presentations, in which I was able to gain hands-on experience of the law in action rather than just the law on the books. In terms of personal development, I was also impressed by the variety of outside-the-classroom opportunities provided by CUHK such as mooting and career workshops. Overall, I believe the well-structured CBL Programme has equipped me with the necessary skills to pursue a first-rate career."
"Undertaking an LLM in Chinese Business Law has enabled me to better understand the financial and legal implications of the expanding trade and business relationship between China and the world. The professors are experts in their respective fields. They provided us with a rigorous understanding of the processes and principles of civil and commercial law in China. Moreover, they encouraged us to draw upon experiences from our respective countries and comparatively analyse the common law and civil law systems. Engaging in language exchange partnerships with my classmates in Mandarin and Cantonese even further enriched what has been a valuable experience."
"The LLM in Chinese Business Law has given me a deeper understanding of Chinese law and Chinese legal culture. It also helped me to better grasp the economic, political, and social implications of doing business in China. All professors were leading experts in their respective fields and encouraged the students to participate in class discussions. I appreciated the international and diverse learning environment at the Faculty, and I am happy to have made great friendships during my time here. The Faculty staff was very helpful and provided spectacular assistance to the international students. I was able to grow professionally and personally and I am very thankful for the time I spent at CUHK."
Contact Information
Address:
Faculty of Law
6/F, Lee Shau Kee Building
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Shatin, New Territories
Hong Kong, China