Hong Kong, 27 January 2026 – A high-level policy advisory body in Hong Kong has advocated for the adoption of fully paperless arbitral decisions, a digital reform that could strengthen the city’s status as a preferred international arbitration hub in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Chief Executive’s Policy Unit (CEPU), a strategic advisory unit operating under Hong Kong’s Chief Executive — announced that now is an optimal moment to modernise the way arbitration awards are issued. The proposal calls for electronic arbitral awards (or “e-Awards”), where decisions are produced, signed and delivered entirely in digital form, without reliance on paper documents.
The recommendation follows a forum convening legal practitioners, academics and business leaders to explore ways Hong Kong can harness digital transformation in dispute resolution. Proponents argue that e-Awards could enhance operational efficiency, improve security, and boost user confidence, giving both domestic and international parties greater assurance in the arbitration process.
Hong Kong’s leadership has been positioning the city to compete with global arbitration centres such as London and Singapore. According to data cited by the CEPU, Hong Kong currently ranks joint first with Singapore in the Asia-Pacific and joint second globally as the most preferred seat of arbitration. The city benefits from a trusted common law legal framework, bilingual legal system, and institutional infrastructure including the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) and the eBRAM International Online Dispute Resolution Centre.
Experts at the forum recommended three priority areas to support the transition: legal amendments to the Arbitration Ordinance that would formally recognise e-Awards; the creation of robust standards and secure digital systems (potentially leveraging blockchain technology) to protect authenticity and prevent tampering; and coordinated efforts among local institutions to adopt interoperable solutions.
The timing of the proposal aligns with broader legal reforms in the region. Mainland China’s revised Arbitration Law, which comes into effect in March 2026, formally recognises online arbitration and expands flexibility for digital proceedings, moves expected to accelerate the integration of digital dispute resolution across the Greater Bay Area.
Policy Unit head Stephen Wong Yuen-shan said that advancing the legal system for arbitration and other dispute resolution mechanisms supports China’s wider legal modernisation goals and enhances Hong Kong’s connectivity with global markets.
For investors and legal-tech stakeholders, the shift to paperless arbitral awards could unlock efficiencies, lower administrative costs and position Hong Kong as a technology-aligned dispute resolution centre, potentially attracting more cross-border commercial arbitrations in a region where digital service adoption continues to grow.
