Oxford law expert delivers civil justice lecture

The School of Law at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) hosted a lecture entitled “The Challenge of Civil Justice Reform: Delivering Law Enforcement at Proportionate Cost and in Reasonable Time”. The speaker was Professor Adrian Zuckerman, Professor of Civil Procedure, University of Oxford, UK, who is acknowledged as the foremost English expert in the field.

The lecture, under the aegis of the CityU School of Law’s Eminent Speakers Lecture Series and jointly organised by the School of Law and the Faculty of Law of The University of Hong Kong, is illustrative of CityU's strong ties to top institutions and professionals around the world.

“The challenge of civil justice reform is not unique to Hong Kong, but the lecture is of utmost significance in the context of Hong Kong, as we will have civil justice reforms implemented soon. I am sure Professor Zuckerman’s experience can provide us with fresh and incisive ideas on the subject,” said Professor (Chair) Wang Guiguo, Dean of the School of Law. “It is also an honour to have this collaboration with the Faculty of Law of The University of Hong Kong” he added.

Professor Zuckerman agreed that the timing of the lecture was quite pertinent for Hong Kong, where civil justice faces challenges. “The defects we identified were quite predictable, in that they were very much the same as every other Commonwealth jurisdiction. The inefficiency was mainly brought about by the costly litigation and procedures not being handled expeditiously. Because of [these uncertainties], the outcome cost of litigation was largely unpredictable,” said Professor Zuckerman.

Professor Adrian Zuckerman’s principal interest is civil procedure. One of his main achievements has been to rescue this important subject from the academic neglect it had endured in English universities. Through his teaching, published works and numerous talks, he has made a substantial contribution in England to the development of this branch of law and is acknowledged as the premier English expert in the field.

Apart from Professor Zuckerman, Mr Justice Anselmo Reyes, Judge, Court of First Instance, High Court, also attended the lecture and offered comments. Among other guests are Professor Wang Guiguo and Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun, Dean of the Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong.