The Government today (October 16) published in the Gazette the subsidiary legislation relating to the implementation of the Arrangement on Mutual Service of Judicial Documents in Civil and Commercial Proceedings between the Mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (New Arrangement), namely, the Rules of the High Court (Amendment) (No. 2) Rules 2026, Rules of the District Court (Amendment) (No. 2) Rules 2026 and Matrimonial Causes (Amendment) Rules 2026. The aforesaid subsidiary legislation will come into operation on March 30, 2027.
 
     The existing Arrangement for Mutual Service of Judicial Documents in Civil and Commercial Proceedings between the Mainland and Hong Kong Courts (Existing Arrangement) has been implemented for over 27 years. The volume of requests for mutual service of judicial documents between the courts of the two places has surged in recent years. To enhance the efficiency of the courts of the two places in mutual service of judicial documents, the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Supreme People's Court (SPC) signed the New Arrangement on April 20 this year with a view to enhancing the mechanism for mutual service of judicial documents in civil and commercial matters between the Mainland and Hong Kong. The New Arrangement aims to further promote the alignment of mechanisms and rules between the legal systems of the two places. The above subsidiary legislation seeks to implement the New Arrangement in Hong Kong, while the SPC will promulgate judicial interpretation on the implementation of the New Arrangement in the Mainland. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and SPC have agreed that the New Arrangement will come into force on March 30, 2027, replacing the Existing Arrangement.
 
     In order to implement the New Arrangement, the High Court Rules Committee made the Rules of the High Court (Amendment) (No. 2) Rules 2026 under section 54 of the High Court Ordinance (Cap. 4) on October 12, 2026; the District Court Rules Committee made the Rules of the District Court (Amendment) (No. 2) Rules 2026 under section 72 of the District Court Ordinance (Cap. 336) on October 12, 2026; and the Chief Judge made the Matrimonial Causes (Amendment) Rules 2026 under section 54 of the Matrimonial Causes Ordinance (Cap. 179) on October 12, 2026.
 
     A spokesman for the DoJ said, "The relevant subsidiary legislation implements the New Arrangement to add manners of service of judicial documents for civil proceedings (including matrimonial proceedings) on persons in the Mainland, thereby promoting timely and efficient handling of cross-boundary civil and commercial cases, strengthening the protection of the rights and interest of parties in the two places and better accommodating the increasingly close-knit ties and judicial needs between the Mainland and Hong Kong."
 
     The Government briefed the Legislative Council Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services on the signing and implementation work of the New Arrangement on April 27, 2026. The Panel and the representatives of the Law Society of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Bar Association generally welcomed the signing and supported the implementation of the New Arrangement. The Government also consulted the relevant stakeholders including the two legal professional bodies on the draft amendment rules of the courts and has suitably incorporated their comments.
 
     The above subsidiary legislation will be tabled at the Legislative Council next Wednesday (October 21) for negative vetting.

     The Government published in the Gazette today (October 16) the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (General) (Amendment) Regulation 2025 (Commencement) Notice (Commencement Notice) to appoint December 21 as the day on which the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (General) (Amendment) Regulation 2025 (L.N. 206 of 2025) (the Amendment Regulation) comes into operation.

     The Amendment Regulation was enacted by the Legislative Council (LegCo) on September 26, 2025, to provide the legal basis for implementing Phase One of Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) "Full Portability", with the exact implementation date to be announced through a notice published in the Gazette. Under the Amendment Regulation, employees whose employment commences on or after May 1, 2025 (New EEs), may transfer accrued benefits derived from employer mandatory contributions in respect of the current employment in its entire amount from a contribution account of the MPF scheme participated in by the employer to a personal account of an MPF scheme of their own choice, once in every calendar year or more than once in every calendar year if the governing rules of the MPF scheme from which the accrued benefits are transferred so provide.

     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, said, "With the upcoming implementation of Phase One 'Full Portability' on December 21, we have fulfilled our commitment set out in the 2026 Policy Address to implement Phase One 'Full Portability' within 2026. This will strengthen New EEs' control over their MPF benefits, encourage them to more proactively manage their MPF investments, promote market competition, and create room for fee reductions. In relation to Phase Two 'Full Portability' which will benefit the remaining employees, we are preparing the relevant legislative proposal and will introduce an amendment bill into the LegCo by mid-2027."

     The Commencement Notice will be tabled before the LegCo next Wednesday (October 21) for the negative vetting procedure.

     The Government announced today (October 16) that an official ceremony will be held on November 12 to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the birth of Dr Sun Yat-sen.

     November 12, 2026, marks the 160th anniversary of the birth of Dr Sun Yat-sen, a great national hero, a great patriot and a great forerunner of China's democratic revolution. In commemoration of Dr Sun Yat-sen's immortal contributions to national independence, social progress and the people's well-being, the Government will hold an official ceremony at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park on the morning of November 12.

     Hongkong Post will issue special stamps to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the birth of Dr Sun Yat-sen on the same day. Government departments and community organisations will organise a series of commemorative activities starting this month to allow members of the public to gain a better understanding of his life and contributions from diverse perspectives. These activities include exhibitions, seminars, guided tours, film screenings, student and youth exchange tours to the Chinese Mainland, local heritage trail visits, and a parent-child quiz competition.

     Information on relevant activities has been uploaded to the thematic webpage "Commemoration of the 160th anniversary of the birth of Dr Sun Yat-sen", which was added to the official website of the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum today. Members of the public are welcome to browse the thematic webpage for the commemoration of the 160th anniversary of the birth of Dr Sun Yat-sen for details of the activities.

     The Labour Department (LD) will hold an online briefing on the employment of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) on November 19 (Thursday), at 7pm. Enrolment is now open.

     The online briefing will provide an overview of the employment rights and obligations of employers of FDHs. Representatives from the Immigration Department will also speak on the Immigration Ordinance and legislation related to the employment of FDHs, as well as to share insights on building a safe community. Employers of FDHs, especially first-time employers, are welcome to attend.

     The online briefing will be conducted in Cantonese via Zoom, and admission is free. Interested parties may register online at the LD's dedicated FDH Portal (www.fdh.labour.gov.hk), or download the enrolment form (www.fdh.labour.gov.hk/res/pdf/Enrolment_Form_ER.pdf) and submit it by email (fdh-enquiry@labour.gov.hk) or by fax (3101 0604). The deadline for enrolment is November 17 (Tuesday). The quota will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. For enquiries, please contact the LD at 3582 8995. 

     The Health Bureau today (October 16) invited interested parties to apply for the Research Fellowship Scheme under the Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF). The scheme aims to support researchers or professionals, particularly healthcare professionals, in their early to mid-career to enhance their skills in public health and health services research.
 
     The grant ceiling per award is $1.2 million, inclusive of $400,000 for training outside Hong Kong. Tertiary institutions funded by the University Grants Committee (UGC) and Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) and Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) are invited to nominate applicants for the scheme. Details of the number of nominations and number of awards are summarised in the table below:
 

 
     Each applicant can only submit one application and may receive the research fellowship award only once. All previous awardees are ineligible to reapply.
 
     To tie in with the "Towards 2025: Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent and Control Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Hong Kong" and the "Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019" launched by the Government, higher priority will be accorded to applications that address cancer and the preventable or modifiable risk factors for NCDs, namely unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol.
 
     The application should cover:
 

1. A training programme outside Hong Kong (regular programmes for higher academic qualifications, e.g. Master or PhD degrees will not be considered) with attachment to a reputable institution for at least three months cumulatively throughout the fellowship period; and
2. A small-scale research project relating to the proposed training programme with no more than three research objectives. 

     The HMRF emphasises the importance of the translational potential of research findings, and therefore supports applications on the following research projects:
 

1. Clinical research including patient-oriented research, epidemiological and behavioural studies, outcomes research and health services research;
2. Infectious diseases research with public health implications from bench to bedside and at community level and with translational value; and 
3. Clinical research based on Chinese medicine theory or clinical research on Chinese medicine theory and methodology.

 
     Applications will be subject to peer review. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview. The assessment will take into account the capability of the applicant and his or her performance at the interview, the importance of the training proposal to healthcare development, as well as its relevance to the proposed research project. The proposed research project will be evaluated on its scientific merit, local context, and translational potential or value to public health or health services.
      
     Completed electronic application forms should be submitted via the electronic Grant Management System (rfs.healthbureau.gov.hk/eGMS/) on or before 6pm on January 7, 2027 (Hong Kong time). The briefing session, which will be held on November 17, 2026, is now open for registration. For details, please refer to the website of the Research Fund Secretariat. For enquiries, please send an email to rfs@healthbureau.gov.hk.
 
Note: The total number of awards granted will be subject to the quality and budget requirements of the applications.