 was recently invited to lead a session at the Hong Kong Common Law & Dispute Resolution Practical Training Course in Xi’an – a leading city in the “One Belt, One Road” initiative.

Co-organised by the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy and Shannxi Province Lawyers Association and bringing together 80 legal professionals from across Mainland China, the course introduced practical and operational aspects of the Hong Kong common law system and international arbitration.

During his presentation, Jonathan discussed the rules of evidence in Hong Kong and common law advocacy skills, and delivered an interactive demonstration with the audience on examination-in-chief and cross-examination of witnesses.

Special thanks to the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy for the invitation and Shannxi Province Lawyers Association for their hospitality and arrangement throughout the event.

Chen Hai Tao & Anor v Transport Tribunal and Commissioner for Transport 

[2025] HKCFI 2686 that the Commissioner for Transport had acted unlawfully in refusing hire car permits (“HCPs”) to two applicants seeking permission to operate as Uber drivers.

The Applicants had applied for HCPs pursuant to regulations made under the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 347). As new applicants for an HCP with no past hiring records to produce, the Commissioner decided that the Applicants had been unable to show that their proposed ride hailing services were “reasonably required” under paragraph 14(3)(b) of the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations (Cap. 374D) (“PSV Regulations”). Their appeal to the Tribunal was dismissed.

The Court found that the Commissioner and the Tribunal had misconstrued the PSV Regulations, wrongly focusing on whether the services the Applicants proposed to offer had some special, unique characteristic or would serve a niche market. Rather, the proper focus of the enquiry should have been whether there was market demand for the type of service the Applicants proposed to offer.

The Court quashed the Tribunal’s decision refusing HCPs to the Applicants and remitted the matter back to the Tribunal.

 acted for the Applicants, instructed by Mayer Brown.

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