The changing face of China’s legal system

An overview of some of the reforms undertaken since pilot programs were introduced last year:

In November, the Beijing Intellectual Property Court was established. One month later, IP courts were also established in Shanghai and Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province.

In late January, two circuit courts were opened under the Supreme People’s Court — one in Shenyang, Liaoning province, the other in Shenzhen, Guangdong. Residents of the regions and areas under the courts’ jurisdiction can lodge appeals with them instead of traveling to Beijing, where the country’s top court is located. The new courts will also help to spread the workload for top judges.

In March, a pilot program signaled the start of a program to reduce the number of judges serving at Shanghai’s courts. The program aims to streamline the judicial process and improve the quality of decisions handed down. The number of judges will be lowered and some current judges may be reassigned to work as assistants, helping judges with legal research and administration, but will not be allowed to decide verdicts.

Since May, all courts have been obliged to file and process cases without delay. Moreover, under the new caseregistration system all appeals that fulfill legal and evidenciary requirements must be accepted immediately, without prior review.