CHILDREN'S ISSUES FORUM
  • Home
  • ABOUT
  • CIF Voices
  • EVENTS
    • 2022 CIF4
    • 2016 Roundtable
    • 2015 CIF3 >
      • Programme
      • Speakers
    • 2012 CIF2
    • 2009 CIF1
  • Publications
  • Contact

Schedule and Programme


The Forum was hosted at The CUHK Graduate Law Centre, Chinese University of Hong Kong which is located at the 2/F Bank of America Tower, 12 Harcourt Road, Central, Hong Kong.

The Forum was held over two days:

Friday, 13 November 2015 from 13:00 to 18:30
Saturday, 14 November 2015 from 8:30 to 18:30

Day 1 Friday 13 November 2015

4.5 CPD Points 
The Law Society of Hong Kong
Day 1 of the Forum considers recent legislative developments in Hong Kong including the proposed Children’s Bill and considers the international approach and perspective to similar legislation in other jurisdictions.

Registration                13:00 - 13:30
Welcome Address       13:30 - 13:35
Opening Address        13:35 - 13:45
Keynote Address         13:45 - 14:00

Welcome 
Dean and Simon F.S. Li Professor of Law Christopher Gane, Faculty of Law, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Professor Michael Hor, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Hong Kong

Opening Address
The Rt. Hon. Sir Matthew Thorpe QC

Keynote Address
The Hon. Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma Tao-Li, GBM
Panel 1                         14:00 - 15:45
Q&A                            15:45 - 16:00
Refreshment               16:00 - 16:15


Law reforms in dealing with children on divorce: a Children Bill for Hong Kong
UPDATE Unfortunately, the long awaited Children’s Bill has not yet been  made available to the public, despite statements by the relevant government department that it would be released in July 2015. Whilst we have waited as long as possible in the hope of receiving the Bill, we now have no choice but to amend the content of this Panel’s discussion to address instead the participants’ suggestions for what could and indeed should be included in any the new legislation. We are hopeful that this Panel’s presentations and subsequent discussion with the audience can be a useful starting point for feedback to the government on what today, 10 years after the original Law Reform Commission report, is needed to address children’s legal issues in Hong Kong (15/10/2015).

10 years since the Law Reform Commission's report on Child Custody, the Administration is drawing up a Children Bill. This panel seeks to consider the relative merits and challenges presented by the proposed changes to the law on child custody.
Panel 2 A                     16:15 - 17:00
Break                           17:00 - 17:10
Panel 2 B                     17:10 - 18:15
Q&A                            18:15 - 18:30

Experiences from other jurisdictions - those who have reformed? those who have decided against change?
UPDATE As noted, the Children’s Bill is not yet available. Nonetheless, as originally envisaged, this Panel will provide an international perspective on the successes on challenges faced by other jurisdictions in the reform and application of child law. It is hoped that this too may provide useful feedback to the government on its proposed reforms (15/10/2015).

We have the benefit of hearing from several eminent overseas speakers on how their respective jurisdictions have dealt with framing the legal form and principles relevant to the parent-child relationship, particularly post-divorce.  Indeed, how do other jurisdictions, whether common law or civil law, Western or Asian, decide issues of custody and what could be learnt from the experience of those jurisdictions?

Day 2 Saturday 14 November 2015

7 CPD Points 
The Law Society of Hong Kong
Day 2 of the Forum focuses on specific issues affecting children. In the morning we look at resolving legal disputes about children including a review of the implementation of the Children’s Dispute Resolution Practice Direction and the challenges entailed in representing children’s perspectives in legal proceedings. In the afternoon we turn to the intersection of social, economic, political and legal knowledge, looking at frontline experience working with child poverty and exclusion in Hong Kong, and consequently the significance of accurate data collection and the development of effective policy-making on children's issues in Hong Kong and internationally. 

Registration                 08:30 - 09:00
Panel 1                        09:00 - 09:30
Q&A                           09:30 - 09:45
Refreshment               09:45 - 10:00

Children's Dispute Resolution in Hong Kong
In October 2012 a pilot scheme for Children’s Dispute Resolution was introduced in the Hong Kong family courts. The scheme aimed to enhance effective case management, encourage parties to reach agreement and thereby to promote case settlement and reduce conflict. In this session the relative merits and successes, or otherwise, of the scheme will be discussed.

Panel 2                         10:00 - 11:15
Q&A                            11:15 - 11:30


Representing Children's Perspective
This panel hopes to explore: (i) ways in which such processes can become more child inclusive, (ii) how we can ensure that the children are truly heard and in the most appropriate manner, and (iii) how to strike a fine balance between shielding children from manipulation and adult conflict, whilst safeguarding their right to be involved and heard in any decision making process related to them.  The panel will consider this topic from a social welfare, psychological, legal and first person perspective, with the latter being provided by the children themselves.

Panel 3                        11:30 - 12:45
Q&A                           12:45 - 13:00



Frontline Experience
The law does not exist in a vacuum.  In this session, those who work on the frontline to promote children’s interests, child welfare and child protection discuss the unmet needs of children in Hong Kong and what steps can be taken to address those needs in terms of both policy initiatives, legal enforcement and reform.

Lunch Break              13:00 - 14:30




Lunch Break
Forum attendees are free to make their own arrangements for luncheon. The Panel 4 Session will begin promptly at 14:30.
Panel 4                        14:30 - 16:00
Q&A                           16:00 - 16:15
Refreshment               16:15 - 16:30


Children's Issues: Data
Effective policy development and law-making are dependent upon accurate and up to date data. Without such data, the resulting policy and law may be based on outdated, biased or ineffective information. In this session the way in which data about children’s issues and needs can be collected and analysed are discussed, including the roles of various stakeholders in that process. The question as to whether there is a need to enhance Hong Kong’s child-related policy and law-making by developing a better approach to gathering and using data, and if so, how, will be canvassed.

Panel 5                        16:30 - 17:45
Q&A                           17:45 - 18:00


Children's Issues: Policy
This session will consider how to maximize effective policy making for family justice systems. What can different disciplines: legal, social, political and medical, bring to this process? How can more collaborative, integrative and interdisciplinary decision making and policy formulation for children and families be facilitated in Hong Kong?  The session will discuss local and overseas perspectives on policy-making on children's issues so that those responsible may make more effective and sustainable policy for children in Hong Kong.
Closing Address         18:00 - 18:15
Closing Remarks       18:15 - 18:30
Closing Drinks          18:30 - 20:00

Closing
Official close of the Third Children's Issues Forum 2015.

Closing Address 
Kids' Dream, Hong Kong

Closing Remarks
Russell Coleman SC
​Temple Chambers

Closing Drinks
All attendees are invited to join a short cocktail reception to mark the closing of the Third Children's Issues Forum.
Forum Closing Dinner
20:00 - 23:00


Mr David H Glynn on behalf of the CIF 3 Organising Committee Forum Closing Dinner
The Third Children's Issues Forum Closing Dinner will be held on Saturday evening at the Hong Kong Club.
Copyright © Children's Issues Forum 2018
  • Home
  • ABOUT
  • CIF Voices
  • EVENTS
    • 2022 CIF4
    • 2016 Roundtable
    • 2015 CIF3 >
      • Programme
      • Speakers
    • 2012 CIF2
    • 2009 CIF1
  • Publications
  • Contact