Brunei Darussalam Arbitration Centre (BDAC) Chairman Radin Safiee bin Radin Mas Basiuni received a courtesy call from Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Paul Lam SC on Monday.
Accompanying Lam were officers from the Department of Justice (DoJ), Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Matters on exploring potential areas of cooperation between BDAC and the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) on promoting Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Brunei Darussalam and Hong Kong were discussed during the courtesy call.
Both parties also discussed capacity-building in legal and dispute resolution, to increase the numbers of local arbitrators through collaborations with the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) and other established institutions.
BDAC Board of Directors and management were also in attendance. The visit concluded with an exchange of gifts between the two parties, followed by a group photo session.
Meanwhile, Brunei Darussalam Supreme Court Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong also welcomed Lam during his first working visit to the Sultanate on Monday.
Lam’s visit came in the wake of a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) signed between the Brunei Darussalam Supreme Court and the Hong Kong DoJ in May 2023. The landmark agreement, signed in Hong Kong, seeks to enhance collaboration between the two jurisdictions, particularly in dispute avoidance and resolution.
During the meeting, both the Brunei chief justice and the Hong Kong secretary for justice reiterated their commitment to advancing the goals of the MoC. They discussed further opportunities for cooperation aimed at developing robust dispute avoidance and resolution mechanisms within Brunei and Hong Kong SAR.
The visit, along with the signing of the MoC, underscores the longstanding relationship between Brunei and Hong Kong SAR. It also highlights the growing economic, trade, and cultural ties, reinforcing their shared commitment to fostering a harmonious legal and economic environment.
The visit by Lam and his delegation marks another step in strengthening the strong relationship between the two regions, with legal cooperation taking centre stage as both sides work to enhance mutual benefits in law. – Azlan Othman & Fadley Faisal
