A Hong Kong think tank under the chief executive says now is the right time for the city to go paperless on arbitral decisions, a move that could boost its edge as an arbitration hub.
The recommendation by the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit (CEPU) follows a recent forum with leading figures from the legal, academic and business sectors exploring pathways to digital arbitration.
The CEPU said electronic arbitral awards (e-Awards) – decisions produced, signed and delivered entirely in electronic form – would allow Hong Kong to harness digital transformation in dispute resolution.
The move would enhance efficiency, security and user confidence, while reinforcing the city’s position as one of the world’s leading arbitration centres.
Hong Kong is actively pushing – and being positioned by national strategies – to solidify its status as a premier international arbitration hub in the Asia-Pacific region.
This effort is driven by a combination of government initiatives, institutional leadership from the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, and alignment with mainland China’s broader goals for rule of law and cross-border dispute resolution.
The city ranked joint first with Singapore in the Asia-Pacific region and joint second, after London, as the most preferred seat of arbitration worldwide, according to the 2025 International Arbitration Survey conducted by Queen Mary University of London in April last year.
Experts at the forum noted that the city’s bilingual legal system, trusted common law framework and presence of major institutions such as the city’s International Arbitration Centre and eBRAM International Online Dispute Resolution Centre provide fertile ground for digital innovation.
Professor Julien Chaisse of the City University’s School of law, who led a CEPU-funded study, outlined three priorities: amending the Arbitration Ordinance to establish the legal status and enforceability of e‑Awards, coordinating local institutions to develop secure operational standards, and leveraging technologies such as blockchain to guarantee authenticity and prevent tampering.
The CEPU said the timing now was seen as favourable as the mainland’s revised arbitration law, which took effect last year, grants online arbitration equal validity with offline proceedings.
It added that aligning Hong Kong’s system with mainland practice would enable seamless integration across the Greater Bay Area and strengthen its role as a “superconnector” between China and the world.
The CEPU also said the forum participants had unanimously agreed that now was the right time to explore the implementation of electronic arbitral awards.
Hong Kong’s Arbitration Ordinance, which is based on the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law’s Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration, is highly aligned with international best practices and ensures that arbitral awards can be effectively enforced in more than 170 jurisdictions worldwide.
Stephen Wong Yuen-shan, who heads the policy unit, said the country’s 15th five-year plan called for accelerating the development of the legal system for foreign-related matters and for strengthening mechanisms for international commercial mediation, arbitration and litigation.
“This will not only advance China’s modernisation and the building of a law-based nation, but also serve as strategic support for enhancing the level of opening up and effectively addressing external risks and challenges,” he said.
Among forum participants were former Basic Law Committee deputy director Maria Tam Wai-chu; the former justice secretary, Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung, also co-chair of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre; the chairman of the Hong Kong Mediation and Arbitration Centre, Albert So Man-kit; and the Law Society’s president, Roden Tong Man-lung. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
