Bar Council visits China to strengthen relations
THE Bar Council sent a delegation, led by Chairman of the Bar, Nicholas Green QC, to China to develop further opportunities for the Bar in China and to strengthen relations with Chinese legal groups. The visit to Beijing and Hong Kong took place between 31 May and 4 June.
The Beijing leg was conducted jointly with the Law Society, at the invitation of the All China Lawyers Association (ACLA), the national professional body for Chinese lawyers. The visit is part of a longstanding commitment by both professions to hold high level biennial exchange visits between the jurisdictions, initiated twenty years ago with the establishment of the Lord Chancellor’s Training Scheme (LCTS).
The three day programme in Beijing comprised of meetings with the Ministry of Justice, ACLA, the Beijing Bar Association, the Legal Affairs Commission and the Legislative Affairs office. The Bar Council and the Law Society renewed their commitment to working with the Chinese legal profession by signing a new Memorandum of Understanding with the All China Lawyer’s Association. In addition, the Bar Council offered plans for future cooperation including a succession scheme to the LCTS training programme. The Bar also met with CIETAC (the international arbitration centre) and leading Chinese law firms and held a seminar on recent legal developments, followed by a reunion dinner, with LCTS graduates, many of whom now occupy senior positions within successful Chinese law firms and companies across the country.
