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Deepening
Mediation Culture

Review of the Mediation Regulatory System in Hong Kong

Established by the Department of Justice in October 2024 in line with the Chief Executive’s Policy Address initiative to strengthen the regulatory system governing the accreditation and disciplinary matters of the mediation profession, the Working Group on Mediation Regulatory System (“Working Group”) was tasked with reviewing and making recommendations to enhance the existing framework.

The Working Group completed a comprehensive review in late 2024 and, following a stakeholder consultation conducted in 2025, finalised seven recommendations, which are summarised as follows:

  1. Mediation in Hong Kong should remain as a non-licensed activity with no mandatory licensing or accreditation regime for practising as a mediator.
  2. The Hong Kong Mediation Accreditation Association Limited (“HKMAAL”) should remain as a private company limited by guarantee to perform its role as an industry-led mediation accreditation and regulatory body, with an enhanced role and expanded functions.
  3. The HKMAAL should be granted statutory mediator-appointing power in the absence of an agreed choice by the parties through legislative amendments.
  4. The HKMAAL should complete the review of the Hong Kong Mediation Code (“Mediation Code”) and going forward, take ownership and responsibility of reviewing, managing and administering the Mediation Code to provide a consistent professional standard.
  5. Promotional efforts should be made to encourage parties to adopt the Mediation Code.
  6. The HKMAAL should finalise and implement a robust complaint-handling and disciplinary framework to enforce the Mediation Code, and should take steps to publicise a database of its disciplinary findings on its website.
  7. The HKMAAL should actively participate in global discussions on dispute resolution as a representative of the Hong Kong mediation industry and foster partnerships with mediation institutions worldwide.

The Department of Justice will maintain good communication with HKMAAL and stakeholders and actively take forward the implementation of the recommendations to solidify Hong Kong’s status as the capital of mediation.

Please click here to view the Press Release.

Please click here to view the full version of the recommendations.