Paul Lam vows faster Hong Kong AI law review
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok (林定國) said the government understands public demand for faster legislation on artificial intelligence and will not delay action on AI-related legal reform. He said the Law Reform Commission could depart from normal practice by completing and reporting the AI portion of its research earlier so consultation can begin sooner.
Key Points
- In an interview published on September 25, Lam said the Law Reform Commission's subcommittee on cybercrime is reviewing existing laws and may extract the AI section first for earlier handling and public consultation
- Lam said Hong Kong is not operating in a legal vacuum on AI crime, because existing offences such as fraud can already apply when AI tools are used for scams or pornography-related abuse
- He said the government has set seven strategies to manage AI risks, while a cross-departmental working group will discuss in coming months legal liability for accidents caused by AI products
- On legal services, Lam said Hong Kong ranks second globally and first in the Asia-Pacific for arbitration in widely recognised international surveys, and the Department of Justice plans to consult this year on amending the Arbitration Ordinance
- Lam said the Department of Justice plans an international legal services building in Wan Chai, targeting funding approval next year and construction to start by the end of that year
Why It Matters
The approach suggests Hong Kong may move toward targeted AI regulation before a broader cybercrime review is finished, which could affect online fraud enforcement, platform responsibilities and future consultation on deepfake-related offences. It also ties AI governance to the government's wider effort to strengthen Hong Kong's role as an international legal and dispute resolution centre