Chinese Mainland Court Verdicts Won't Be Automatically Enforced in Hong Kong Under New Rule, Official Says

Legal verdicts in civil and commercial cases made on the Chinese mainland will not automatically take effect in Hong Kong even after a reciprocal enforcement regime comes into force next month, said the special administrative region (SAR)’s Justice Secretary Paul Lam, refuting “misinterpretations” of the new law that have emerged.

Before a mainland judgment can be enforced in Hong Kong, the prevailing party in the case must register a copy of the verdict along with other necessary documents with the Court of First Instance of the Hong Kong High Court, Lam said in a Nov. 18 post on his Facebook account. They must also notify the losing side in the case of their right to apply to the court to set aside registration of the verdict on certain grounds, said Lam.