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New-Style Court Speeds Up Justice in Beijing
The small claims court in Chaoyang District, the first and the only one of its kind in Beijing, has been deemed successful since it opened in July last year.
The court meets the public's increasing demand for judicial efficiency and justice. Up to now, the court has dealt with nearly 80 percent of the 662 small claims cases received over the last half year.
According to Cui Changlin, a division chief at the Beijing Chaoyang District Court and the man responsible for the administration of the small claims court, the cases handled by the court are solely financial disputes worth from 1,000 yuan (US$120) to 100,000 yuan (US$12,000), the high point of the court's jurisdiction.
The average time it takes a case to be dealt with in the court, from acceptance to conclusion, is seven to 10 days, Cui said.
According to China's civil procedural code, the court should finish individual cases within 20 days after accepting them.
"The shortened trial period has not only increased judicial efficiency, but also helped litigants lower their costs," Cui said.
Different from most ordinary cases which are heard by a panel of three judges, including a leading judge, small claims court trials are heard by only two judges assisted by two court clerks.
"In this way, more judges are freed up and allowed to concentrated on sophisticated cases," Cui explained.
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