Attorney-General Robert McClelland met with the Chinese Minister for Justice, Madam Wu Aiying in Canberra yesterday evening to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on legal cooperation.
Mr McClelland said the MOU updated a previous agreement signed in 1984 and will improve mutual understanding across the law and justice sectors in Australia and China.
“The MOU is a clear expression of the importance both Australia and the People’s Republic of China place on maintaining an enduring relationship across the law and justice sector,” Mr McClelland said.
“The Australian legal and justice sector places a great degree of importance on its relationship with China.
“The MOU provides a framework for future engagement between China and Australia across the legal sector.
“The legal cooperation and engagement that the Memorandum promotes will be important to help us better understand each other’s legal systems.”
The MOU promotes further cooperation between China and Australia through:
- the exchange of legal materials concerning the laws, legal systems and legal institutions of each country;
- the exchange of visits, including by ministers, officials, the judiciary, legal practitioners, legislative drafters, legal advisers, academics and law students;
- the development and implementation of education and training initiatives; and
- the facilitation and promotion of cooperation between members of the legal profession in both countries.
“China is an important bilateral partner for Australia and this MOU aims to further strengthen the relationships between Australian and Chinese law and justice agencies and promote a greater understanding of each other’s laws, legal systems and legal institutions,” Mr McClelland said.
Contact: Ryan Liddell – 02 6277 7300
