The Development of Law and Economics Scholarship in Hong Kong

Abstract Law and Economics (L&E), as an interdisciplinary approach, is prominent in Europe and the US but remains preliminary in Hong Kong (HK), with limited progress despite expanding research scope and quantity. This study examines HK law schools’ academic output, analyzing L&E scholars’ composition, research areas, methodologies, and development barriers. Most scholars employ L&E concepts as supplementary tools, while only a few core scholars systematically adopt it as a primary analytical framework. Research focuses on market-related areas such as competition law, financial law, and corporate law, with less focus on fields like private law and criminal law. Empirical methods, cost-benefit analysis, and institutional economics are commonly applied, but diversity and theoretical depth remain inadequate. Structural constraints – legal traditions, educational systems, and limited academic platforms – further impede L&E’s growth in HK. This study advocates interdisciplinary collaboration, research centers, academic support, and broader L&E application in policymaking and judicial processes in HK.