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The Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL)(法學專業證書) is an intensive one-year full-time (or two-year part-time) professional legal education programme in Hong Kong, which allows graduates to proceed to legal training before qualifying to practice as either a barrister or a solicitor in Hong Kong. It can be seen as the equivalent of the Legal Practice Course (LPC) in England and Wales, and focuses heavily on practical issues unlike an undergraduate law degree.
There are three course providers in Hong Kong: the University of Hong Kong, the City University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (since September 2008).
Qualification as a lawyer in Hong Kong
As in England and Wales, the legal profession in Hong Kong consists of two branches: solicitors and barristers.
Prospective solicitors must complete a two year training contract as a trainee solicitor after the PCLL to qualify.
Prospective barristers, after completing the PCLL, will undertake 6 months of pupillage under a pupil-master before being called to the Bar (admitted as a barrister) of Hong Kong, and will have limited rights of audience (limited practice). After a further 6 months of pupillage, he or she will can commence full practice.
PCLL admission requirements
To be eligible for admission to the courses leading to the PCLL, an applicant must have completed their Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or equivalent legal studies either in Hong Kong or other common law jurisdictions, or have passed the Common Professional Examination (CPE) of England and Wales or the Common Professional Examination Certificate (CPEC) of Hong Kong.
Core subjects
The degree or qualification must be in common law, and should include passes in eleven core subjects, including the following (or equivalent)[1]:
Six of these must be completed as part of a student's main law qualification: Contract, Tort, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Property Law and Equity.
Conversion examinations are offered twice a year for the remaining five subjects.
Students may complete these core subjects:
- as part of their non-Hong Kong common law qualification;
- as a visiting "internal" student in one of the three universities awarding LLB and/or JD degrees in Hong Kong and passing the requisite examination; and
- by passing the relevant subject in the Hong Kong Conversion Examination for PCLL Admission.
New top-up subjects from September 2008 [2]
From September 2008 onwards, candidates with overseas qualifications must demonstrate competence in the following areas to be eligible for the PCLL:
Students may do so:
- as a visiting "internal" student in one of the three universities awarding LLB or JD degrees in Hong Kong and passing the requisite examination;
- as part of the Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong Law taught and awarded in Hong Kong; or
- by passing the relevant subject in the Hong Kong Conversion Examination for PCLL Admission.
IELTS
In addition to the above admission requirements, all students applying for PCLL must take the IELTS English proficiency test not be more than two years before the date of application. A minimum score of 7 is required, as set by The Law Society of Hong Kong.
Course fees
HKU[3]:
Full-time (government-funded): HK$42,100 (HK$100,000 for non-local students)
Full-time (self-funded): HK$95,000
Part-time: HK$110,000 (payable in two annual installments of HK$55,000 each)
CityU :
Full-time (government-funded): HK$42,100/US$5,400
Full-time (self-funded): HK$108,000/US$13,850 (HK$60,000/US$7,700 for non-local students)
CUHK [4]:
Full-time (government-funded): HK$42,100
Full-time (self-funded): HK$132,000
Admission details
HKU
The HKU (full-time) intake is currently slightly under 300 students per year (and decreasing), with approximately 70-80 of those from its own LLB programme. Others come from universities in other common law jurisdictions, particularly the United Kingdom and Australia.
The minimum academic level required has increased with each intake. Previously, all HKU LLB graduates would have been admitted into its PCLL programme; now, just over two-thirds are admitted (i.e. at least a decent 2:2 honours in the LLB). Non-HKU-LLB students usually require a 2:1 honours.
In 2007-08, 170 places were government-funded and 117 were self-funded.
CityU
The CityU PCLL intake is currently around 100 students per year, with approximately 30-40 of those from its own LL.B. programme. Others come from universities in other common law jurisdictions, particularly the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Non-CityU-LLB students usually require a 2:1 honours or high 2:2 honours.
CUHK
The CUHK School of Law will commence its PCLL Programme in 2008. It will be offered at the School of Law’s new Graduate Law Centre in Bank of America Tower, in the Central district of Hong Kong.
There are two points of entry each year, in September and January. The course is only offered as a one-year full-time course.
Course content
HKU
There are five compulsory subjects: Advocacy, Civil and Criminal Procedure, Conveyancing and Probate Practice, Commercial Law and Practice, and Professional Practice.
Streaming
Students must choose one of two streams: CPC (commercial, probate and corporate practice; for intending solicitors) or the Litigation (for intending barristers and litigation solicitors). Course content is identical in the first semester. In the second semester, while the subjects taken remain identical for both streams, CPC students focus more on the commercial aspect (letter writing, agreement drafting, etc), while Litigation students focus more on the advocacy, pleadings drafting and opinion writing aspects.
As all barristers must have taken the Litigation stream, many students wishing to leave their options open may opt for Litigation even if they plan to be a solicitor in the short term, to avoid having to retake the PCLL.
References
External links
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