Chief Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung (back row, right), chief justice of the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon of Singapore (back row, left) witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding by Justice Bebe Chu (front row, right), judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court of the HKSAR, and Justice Teh Hwee Hwee, presiding judge of the Family Justice Courts of Singapore, to promote the efficient administration of the family justice systems in the two jurisdictions, March 15, 2024. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVT)

HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Singapore signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday to enhance judicial exchanges with a view to promoting the efficient administration of the family justice systems in the two jurisdictions.

The deal provides a framework for the two cities to facilitate the efficient administration of their respective family justice systems through exchanging experiences and discussing matters of common interest, the government said in a statement.

Areas covered by the MoU include effective management of family cases for efficient disposal, use of technology, training of family judges and judicial officers, development of family law, procedural rules and practice directions and the role of mediation in early settlement of family cases.

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Justice Bebe Chu, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court of the HKSAR with special responsibility for family cases, and Justice Teh Hwee Hwee, Judge of the High Court and Presiding Judge of the Family Justice Courts of Singapore signed the MoU on behalf of the two jurisdictions.

(From left) Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon of Singapore; Justice Teh Hwee Hwee, presiding judge of the Family Justice Courts of Singapore; Justice Bebe Chu, judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court of the HKSAR; and Chief Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung, chief justice of the Court of Final Appeal of the HKSAR, pose for a photo after signing of a memorandum of understanding to promote the efficient administration of the family justice systems, March 15, 2024. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVT)

Chief Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung, Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal of the HKSAR, and Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon of Singapore witnessed the signing of the MOU.

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“It gives me great pleasure to witness the signing of this MOU, which encourages the two jurisdictions to share experiences and hold discussions on family matters of common interest,” said Chief Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung, Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal of the HKSAR.

He expressed his confidence that the deal would be beneficial to the development of the family justice systems of the two cities.