UM hosts 13th Asia-Pacific Civil Law Forum

MACAU, November 26 - The 13th Asia-Pacific Civil Law Forum was held at the Faculty of Law (FLL) at the University of Macau (UM). Under the theme ‘Tort Law Towards Future’, the forum brought together experts and scholars from leading universities and research institutions, including Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the University of Arizona. 

The forum was jointly organised by the Research Center of Civil and Commercial Jurisprudence of Renmin University of China and the Academy for East-Asian Tort Law, and presented by UM FLL. Experts and scholars from Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, Wuhan University, Sichuan University, Beijing Normal University, Beijing Institute of Technology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Taiwan University, Soochow University, the University of Arizona, and Yeungnam University (Korea) engaged in in-depth discussions on topics including artificial intelligence (AI) tort liability and attribution models, legal risks and regulatory developments in autonomous driving, digitalisation challenges in product liability, new trends in the protection of personality rights, and the intersection of contract and tort law. 

The opening ceremony was chaired by Lee Sangwook, professor emeritus in the School of Law at Yeungnam University. Tong Io Cheng, dean of UM FLL, and Yao Hui, professor at Renmin University of China, delivered opening remarks. Tong noted that tort law, as a vital component of civil law, must respond to the rapid development of AI and digital technologies through open-minded and pragmatic institutional innovation. Yao highlighted that this year’s forum covered a wide range of topics, from traditional theories of tort law to emerging issues such as AI and the convergence of contract and tort law, demonstrating the depth and interdisciplinary nature of contemporary tort law research.

The forum featured five thematic sessions: ‘New Concepts in Tort Theory’, ‘New Developments in Personality Rights Torts’, ‘Emerging Trends in Commercial Torts’, ‘AI-Related Torts’, and ‘The Intersection of Contract and Tort’. Participants exchanged insights and perspectives throughout the sessions.

The closing ceremony was chaired by Shui Bing, professor in UM FLL. Yang Lixin, emeritus professor in the Faculty of Law at Renmin University of China, delivered the closing address, where he summarised the organisation and outcomes of the forum. He reviewed the development of the Academy for East-Asian Tort Law and the progress made since the launch of the Asia-Pacific Civil Law Forum, affirming its vital role in advancing regional academic exchange and deepening civil law research.

Among the attendees were Xi Chao, dean of the Faculty of Law at the Chinese University of Hong Kong; Cheng Xiao, professor in the School of Law at Tsinghua University; Li Yongjun, professor in the Civil, Commercial and Economic Law School at the China University of Political Science and Law; Chen Tsung-Fu, professor in the College of Law at Taiwan University; and Jeng Gung-Yeu, professor in the School of Law at Soochow University.