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Civil Justice Reform - An Overview
The Civil Justice Reforms will come into effect on 2 April 2009. The new court rules aim to improve cost-effectiveness and reduce complexity and delays in court proceedings. The purpose of this bulletin is to briefly highlight some of the major changes to the High Court and District Court Rules, which will come into effect on 2 April 2009. Subsequent bulletins will deal with these topics in more detail.

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Civil Justice Reform-The Underlying Objectives and Case Management by the Court
This legal update follows our September 2008 issue which gave a general overview of the major changes to the High Court and District Court Rules to come into effect on 2 April 2009. This and subsequent issues deal with those changes in more detail. This issue deals with the new "underlying objectives" and active case management by the court.

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Civil Justice Reform - Pleadings and Statements of Truth
This legal update outlines the reforms in relation to pleadings and the introduction of Statements of Truth.

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Civil Justice Reform - Mediation
One of the underlying objectives of the new High Court and District Court rules, to come into effect on 2 April 2009, is to facilitate settlement of disputes (see our October 2008 Civil Justice Reform Legal Update). The new court rules place a duty on the court to further the underlying objectives by actively managing cases. Such case management includes, where appropriate, encouraging the parties to use ADR procedures to resolve their dispute i.e. procedures alternative to litigation.

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Civil Justice Reform - Sanctioned Offers and Sanctioned Payments
Under the new High Court and District Court Rules, to come into effect on 2 April 2009, "sanctioned offers" and "sanctioned payments" will replace the existing "payments into court" procedure. The changes aim to encourage parties to settle and avoid prolonged litigation. Sanctioned offers and sanctioned payments can be made any time after proceedings have commenced.

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Deacons Hong Kong and Deacons Australia Dissolve Association Effective 23 December 2009  

With effect from 23 December 2009, our association with Deacons Australia will be dissolved. Since its establishment in Hong Kong in 1851, Deacons has grown to become the leading, and by far the largest, independent firm based in Hong Kong. We are strongly committed to remaining independent and our strategy is to continue to build the strongest legal teams in both Hong Kong and elsewhere in China through our representative offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. While that will be our primary focus, we will maintain our relationships with the associated network firms in Thailand, Taiwan and Malaysia and continue to develop our relationships with other overseas firms.

Deacons Australia (which was known before our association as Sly & Weigall) will become part of the Norton Rose Group with effect from 1 January 2010.

   
Deacons awarded 2009 Hong Kong Firm of the Year by MIP  

On 31 March 2009, at a global awards ceremony in London, Deacons was awarded the “Hong Kong Firm of the Year” prize by the international publication Managing Intellectual Property (MIP). This is the third year in succession that Deacons has won this award.

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Deacons wins 2009 Hong Kong Law Firm, PRC Office of the Year and the 2009 Real Estate and Construction Deal of the Year at the ALB China Awards  

On 25 April 2009, Deacons was awarded the 2009 Hong Kong Law Firm, PRC Office of the Year and the 2009 Real Estate and Construction Deal of the Year at the Asian Legal Business China Awards ceremony held in Shanghai. Deacons won the ALB China Hong Kong Law Firm, PRC Office of the Year award in 2008 and 2006.

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Deacons wins 2008 Best Trade Law Firm in Asia award  

Deacons received the 2008 Best Trade Law Firm in Asia award at Trade Finance magazine’s Annual Awards for Excellence ceremony in Hong Kong on 3 July 2008. The award recognises the firm's extensive work on a variety of structured trade and commodity financing transactions over the last year, with the majority of the deals involving China, India, Central Asia, Indonesia and Australia.

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