CE meets Portuguese President of the Supreme Court of Justice during Lisbon visit

MACAU, April 22 - The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, met with the President of Portugal’s Supreme Court of Justice, Mr João Cura Mariano, in Lisbon, Portugal, on Tuesday (21 April). They exchanged views on issues including continuing to strengthen ties between the two sides and constantly promoting exchanges and cooperation between Macao and Portugal in the judicial field.

Mr Sam began the meeting by thanking Mr Mariano for leading a delegation to Macao last year to attend the 13th edition of the Forum of Presidents of the Supreme Courts of Justice of Portuguese-speaking Countries and Territories; which was a major event for Macao’s judicial community.

Mr Sam stated that since the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), Macao has consistently and resolutely implemented the “One country, two systems” principle, carrying out legislative amendments in step with the times, whilst retaining its existing system of continental law. Under the full protection of the rule of law, Macao has been able to make solid progress in all areas of economic, social and public welfare development.

The Chief Executive also pointed out that since Macao’s return to the motherland, the courts at all levels in the MSAR have continued to function effectively, with judicial independence receiving widespread recognition. Judges from Portugal have also made significant contributions. At present, the recruitment of two Portuguese judges to serve in Macao is proceeding smoothly, and Mr Sam expressed his sincere gratitude to Mr Mariano and the Portuguese courts for their strong support.

Mr Sam also noted that judicial cooperation between Macao and Portugal is an integral part of the close ties between the two sides, and is of great significance for deepening high-level cooperation between Macao and Portugal and promoting people-to-people and economic and trade exchanges.

He expressed the hope that, through joint efforts, judicial cooperation between the two sides would be elevated to a new level, providing a more solid foundation for deepening practical exchanges and cooperation across multiple fields between Macao and Portugal. He suggested there should be a greater number of reciprocal visits by judges, to strengthen exchanges and allow each side to learn from each other’s experiences. Mr Sam looked forward to Mr Mariano’s making another visit to Macao, in order further to advance judicial cooperation between Macao and Portugal.

The MSAR Government would spare no effort in actively fulfilling its unique role as a bridge between China and Portugal, acting as a “precise connector” to help the two countries continue to strengthen all-round, practical cooperation and further enhance China-Portugal relations.

Mr Mariano welcomed Mr Sam and his delegation and expressed his delight at having another opportunity to engage in exchanges. He noted that Macao has long-standing and close ties with Portuguese-speaking countries, and that the MSAR is a place where continental law, the dominant legal system in Europe, coexists with Chinese law, and the legal system and the Portuguese language have been well preserved.

He agreed that there is considerable scope for cooperation between Portugal and Macao in the judicial field, and that exchanges could be further strengthened in the future. Mr Mariano also noted that rapid technological advances are presenting new challenges for the judicial sector, and expressed the hope that the judicial communities of Portugal and Macao would further strengthen their ties and cooperation, increasing opportunities for reciprocal visits among the judiciary in the two places, so that judges might gain richer practical experience through such exchanges.

Other officials attending the meeting included: the Chinese Ambassador to Portugal, Mr Yang Yirui; the MSAR’s Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ms O Lam; the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Chan Kak; the Director of the Macao Economic and Trade Office in Lisbon, Ms Lúcia Abrantes dos Santos; the Head of Cabinet of the President of the Supreme Court of Justice, Ms Gabriela Cunha Rodrigues; and the Consul-General of Portugal in Macao, Mr Alexandre Leitão.