美格Mainland,HKimplementarrangementtorecognizeeachother’sjudgmentsofcivil,commercialcourtcasesByChenQingqing()HongKongCourtofFinalAppeal(Front)andInternationalFinanceCenterareseeninHongKong,southChina.(Xinhua/LiPeng)TheChinesemainlandandtheHongKongSpecialAdministrativeRegion(HKSAR)jointlyimplementedanarrangementonMondayallowingthemainlandandtheHKSARtorecognizeandenforceeachothersjudgmentsincivilandcommercialcourtcases,whichishailedasanimportantmilestoneandconsideredasconducivetoenhanceHongKong,courtsofthetwojurisdictionsmayrecognizeandenforcereciprocallyeffectivejudgmentsincivilandcommercialmattersthlandandHongKongcourtsrespectively,therebyreducingtherisks,legalcosts,andtimeusuallyassociatedwiththecross-boundaryenforcementofsuchjudgments."ThearrangementshowcasestheuniqueadvantagesenjoyedbyHongKongunderOneCountry,onreciprocalrecognitionandenforcementofjudgmentswithsuchwidecoverage,"sstatusasaregionalintellectualpropertytradingcenteraswellasaregionalcenterforinternationallegalanddisputeresolutionservicesasoutlinedinthenational14thFive-YearPlan,enthetwo,itisexpectedthataround90percentofcivilandcommercialjudgmentsfromthetwoplacescourtswillbemutuallyrecognizedandenforced,SiYanli,deputydirectorgeneraloftheresearchofficeoftheSupremePeoplesCourt,ossible,buttherearestillsomecasesthatarenotincludedwithinthescopeofmutualrecognitionandenforcement,Sisaid,notingthatitdoesnotcurrentlyapplytojudgmentsineightcategoriesofcivilandcommercialcases,includingcertainfamilyandmarriagematters,inheritancecases,somepatentinfringementcases,certainmaritimeandmaritimecommercecases,bankruptcy(liquidation)cases,votereligibilitydeterminations,casesrelatedtoarbitration,andcasesrecognizingandenforcingjudgmentsfromotherjurisdictions,,thenumberofthesecasesislimitedandrepresentsonlyasmallportionofcivilandcommercialcases,,themainlandsvariouslevelsofcourtshavecollectivelyissuedrulingsforover55,ndenforcementofjudgmentsincivilandcommercialcasesbetweenthetworegions,eliminatingtheneedforpartiestoengageinrepetitivelitigationtoprotecttheirrightsinthesamecase,"tarnishHongKongsreputationasaglobalbusinesshub."TheGuardiansaidonMondaythatinternationalcompanieshavetraditionallychosentobasethemselve,suchconcernsareunfoundedandentirelyunnecessary,constitutinggroundlessapprehensions,LouisChen,amemberoftheElectionCommitteeandgeneralsecretaryoftheHongKongLegalExchangeFoundation,,asearlyas2006,mainlandandHongKonghadsignedthereciprocalrecognitionandenforcementofcivilandcommercialjudgments,andHongKonghasalsoenactedthemainlandjudgments(reciprocalenforcement)ordinance,whichallowsjudgmentsmadeinmainlandincivilorcommercialmatterstobeenforcedinHongKongandfacilitatestheenforcementofjudgmentsmadeinHongKongincivilorcommercialmattersinmainland,ourtsiftheycl,theHongKongcourtswouldnotrecognizeandenforcejudgmentsofmainlandcourtsiftheyclearlyviolatefundamentalprinciplesofHongKonglaworpublicpolicy,BasicLaw,whichisagoldenrule,ChuKar-kin,aveterancurrentaffairscommentatorbasedinHKSARandmemberoftheChineseAssociationofHongKongandMacaoStudies,,orders,approval,instructionsareexchangedorco,thejudgesdeliverandhanddowntheordersandjudgmentsasusualpracticesastheymaynotevenknowwhetherthepartiesofthecaseintendtoenforcethejudgmentintheotherjurisdiction,headded.(Webeditor:TianYi,LiangJun)