Watching the preliminary proceedings in a murder case and enjoying an extensive behind-the-scenes look at the Court of Final Appeal were just two of the highlights for Law students in Hong Kong with #DMUglobal.
The second-year De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) students were shown around the imposing 20-storey High Court building before watching 30 minutes of the hearing.
They then headed to the nearby Court of Final Appeal to meet Mr Registrar Kwang, one of the highest court judges in Hong Kong, who gave them an exclusive insight into its history, architecture and day-to-day work with a personal tour unavailable to the public.
This was followed by a reception back at the High Court with the Young Barristers of the Hong Kong Bar Association, where they were presented with gifts, found out more about legal practice in the territory and could take advantage of what became a fantastic networking opportunity.
Law student James Solanki said: “We got a chance to examine how the Hong Kong legal system has been affected by our British constitutional laws, and it really helped us to see and understand both the similarities and the differences. #DMUglobal is a fantastic opportunity to really interact with individuals you wouldn’t usually interact with. It also allows students, like myself, who’ve never travelled by themselves, to take that first leap forward to explore the world as part of your degree course.”
RELATED NEWS
Business students taking stock on exhilarating first day in Hong Kong
Morning to remember at the Post for Journalism students in Hong Kong
#DMUworks heads to China for first-ever trip
Marija Baltrusyte, an international student from Lithuania, said one of the main reasons she applied to DMU was its international experience programme: “I’ve already been on a #DMUglobal trip to Canada and we went to visit a court there, so it’s very exciting to compare Hong Kong with that and also the UK. Trips like this widen your perspective as you see how different systems approach the same things. I think it is very important to see the world to understand it – and its people - better.”
Kaisha Wilson, from Bermuda, said: “It’s good to have an open mind about how different legal systems work – you never know where you might find yourself living or working some day. That’s why I also really enjoyed the #DMUworks launch in Hong Kong, because we got a chance to speak with alumni. It was really inspiring that they had graduated and are now here. And it was good to see the university stays in contact – they don’t forget about you when you’re gone.”
Louise Neilson, the senior DMU Law lecturer and barrister who helped organise the trip, said: “Today has been even better than we had hoped and we would like to thank Mr Registrar Kwang for making it so special. The Hong Kong legal system is complex. It obviously has a history that is embedded within the English one but it is now moving forward in a more Eastern way. This visit is a great opportunity to marry the two cultures together. Also, our students may well find themselves in this system in the future, because a lot of British lawyers do come out to work here.”
Posted on Saturday 24 March 2018