The 16th Commonwealth Law Conference opened here Monday, the first time for the event to be held in a non-Commonwealth jurisdiction.

The convening of the Conference in Hong Kong represents a recognition of the successful implementation of the principle of " one country, two systems", said Andrew Li, Chief Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, at the Opening Ceremony.

Li said that the conference provided a useful opportunity for Hong Kong to maintain and strengthen its professional exchanges with common law jurisdictions both within and outside the Commonwealth.

Since July 1, 1997, when China resumed the exercise of sovereignty under the principle of "one country, two systems", the common law system has continued to be maintained and indeed has continued to thrive in Hong Kong in accordance with the Basic Law, the city's mini-constitution.

Organized by the Commonwealth Lawyers' Association and the Law Society of Hong Kong, the conference was held under the theme "The Dynamics of Law in a Rapidly Changing World", with four streams: Constitutional Issues, Human Rights and the Rule of Law; Corporate/ Commercial Law; Judges, the Legal Profession and the Community; and Contemporary Legal Issues.

Hong Kong had previously played host to the Commonwealth Law Conference. In September 1983, that the 7th Commonwealth Law Conference was held in Hong Kong.

(Xinhua News Agency April 6, 2009)