Asian Legal History Society Established to Deepen Understanding of Asia's Diverse Legal Traditions

The Asian Legal History Association (ALHA), initiated by the Faculty of Law at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, held its inaugural ceremony at the Graduate School of the Faculty of Law. The association brings together 21 top law schools and research institutions from 17 jurisdictions, marking a new milestone in global legal history research and holding particular significance in exploring Asia’s diverse legal traditions.

ALHA is the first long-term collaborative platform aimed at deepening understanding of Asia’s diverse legal traditions and promoting ongoing cross-jurisdictional legal history exchanges worldwide. Its establishment is not only a key development in the international legal academic community but also highlights Hong Kong’s important role as a leading legal hub in Asia.

In his welcoming speech, CUHK Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Rocky Tuan, expressed that CUHK Law School is honored to serve as the permanent secretariat of the association. This appointment reflects CUHK’s longstanding commitment to promoting international academic cooperation and exchanges, and also demonstrates the university’s belief that its mission is not only to create knowledge but also to serve as a systemic platform for sharing, exchanging, and deepening knowledge. This is part of CUHK’s broader contribution to Hong Kong and its future development, further strengthening the knowledge and institutional foundation needed to support Hong Kong’s international standing.

In addition to the inaugural ceremony, CUHK Law School will co-host the international conference “Asian and Extraterritorial Legal History: Learning from the Past, Inspiring the Present” with the University of Oxford Faculty of Law. The conference will be held from March 17 to 18 at CUHK in Hong Kong and on March 23 at the University of Oxford in the UK.