British Legal Week opens in Beijing

British Legal Week, together with an exhibition of British legal culture, opened at the China Court Museum in Beijing on May 25.

Zhou Qiang, president of the Supreme People’ Court, and Lord Neuberger, president of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, jointly unveil the opening of British Legal Week as well as an exhibition of British legal culture. [Photo: Sun Ruofeng]

Addressing the opening ceremony, Zhou Qiang, China’s chief justice and president of the Supreme People's Court, said the event was a milestone as it marked the first time that China has hosted a foreign country’s legal week.

Exchange and communication in the legal field constitutes an important part of China-UK pragmatic cooperation. British Legal Week will help boost understanding between the two countries’ legal communities, which can also learn from one another through events such as this, Zhou said.

Moreover, the event, in addition to encouraging China and the UK to participate in global governance by law, will have far-reaching positive effects on deepening judicial exchanges between China and other foreign countries, encouraging judicial reform in China and elsewhere, Zhou said.

He called on China and the UK to work together to explore new and richer forms of legal exchange to enhance the two countries’ legal progress and benefit their people, as well as the world’s people as a whole.

Lord Neuberger said in his speech at the opening that the UK has always attached great importance to drawing from other countries’ experience in the legal field to improve its own systems.

The exhibition, a display of carefully selected items, showcases the UK’s legal history, achievements and development, Neuberger said.

He voiced his hope that the two sides will extend and enrich their judicial relationship in an in-depth and long-term manner.