Civil Procedure and Civil Justice Reform

What is this page about?
This page will help you identify and locate research materials on civil procedure and the recent civil justice reform in Hong Kong.

What is civil procedure?
Civil procedure governs the litigation process in the courts. In Hong Kong, the civil procedure and practice may be found in the court rules and the practice directions.

What is the recent Hong Kong Civil Justice Reform about?
The Civil Justice Reform has come into effect on 2 April 2009 and applies to civil proceedings of the High Court and the District Court except for specialist lists. Some of the new rules and procedures also apply to the Lands Tribunal and the Family Court. The main objectives of the Civil Justice Reform are[1]:

1. to increase the cost-effectiveness of any practice and procedure to be followed in relation to civil proceedings before the Court;
2. to ensure that a case is dealt with as expeditiously as is reasonably practicable;
3. to promote a sense of reasonable proportion and procedural economy in the conduct of proceedings;
4. to ensure fairness between the parties;
5. to facilitate the settlement of disputes; and
6. to ensure that the resources of the Court are distributed fairly.

[1] Judiciary, Civil Justice Reform, <https://www.civiljustice.hk/eng/home.html> accessed 04 November 2021.