"The Hong Kong White Book is the standard point of reference for the rules of civil procedure in this jurisdiction and, as such, an indispensable tool for the well-prepared litigator." — The Hon. Mr Justice Joseph Fok P.J. (Editor-in-Chief)
"Using the White Book could easily save firms HK$20,000 a day" — Martin Rogers (General Editor)
Endorsed by the Hong Kong Judiciary, Hong Kong Civil Procedure 2026 (The White Book) is the definitive reference manual on the rules of civil procedure and practice in Hong Kong. The commentary to each Order of the Rules of the High Court, as well as to the Arbitration Ordinance, Mediation Ordinance and specialist Ordinances on legal practice, have been carefully reviewed and annotated by the talented pool of over 100 specialist practitioners.
New developments in this edition include:
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Electronic Filing System Rollout:
The electronic filing system (iCMS) is nearing completion of its initial stages and will be used in civil appeal cases in the Court of Appeal, under the Court Proceedings (Electronic Technology) (High Court Civil Proceedings) Rules. Mandatory use is expected for all legally represented litigants from 2026.
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iCMS Functionality:
The electronic system provides comprehensive digital services including filing and receiving court documents, document inspection and search capabilities, cause book searching, and electronic payment processing.
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AI Technology Challenges:
The Judiciary is studying AI's benefits and risks, with concerns about AI "hallucinations" creating false submissions and potential over-reliance by both judicial officers and practitioners in complex cases. Some cautionary examples from other common law jurisdictions are cited in Part U of Volume 3 (Arbitration).
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Rulings under the Arbitration Ordinance:
The High Court continues to issue significant rulings under the Arbitration Ordinance, with recent cases like Company A v. Company C 2025 1 HKLRD 469, where the court addressed the need for worldwide interim relief.
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Court's discretion on a multi-factorial assessment:
Hong Kong courts are applying a flexible, multi-factorial approach to resolve conflicts between statutory insolvency regimes and binding arbitration agreements, following the Court of Final Appeal's framework established in Re Guy Lam.
