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China to Deepen Reform on Hearing of Business and Maritime Cases Concerning Foreign Countries
China will deepen the reform on the hearing and ruling of commercial and maritime cases concerning foreign countries in preparation for China's impending entry into the World Trade Organization, according to the principal from the Supreme People's Courts on October 29.
After its entry into the WTO China will see a sharp increase in both the number and types of commercial and maritime cases concerning foreign countries along with the booming of foreign trade. Therefore, the judicial guarantee will play a more important role in the said cases for defending China's reform and opening up and economic construction.
In this regard, the Supreme People's Courts has decided to deepen the reform for making the verdict in the said cases more professional. The main contents of the reform are as follows:
1. In such regions as provincial capitals, cities with economic planning directly supervised by the State Council, and special economic zones which are not professional in adjudicating these cases, the Intermediate People's Courts should put the commercial and maritime cases concerning foreign countries under centralized control, strictly execute hearing and ruling by the Maritime Court, perfect adjudicative organs and system, and unify executing and judging standards.
2.To cross-examine relevant evidences especially evidence from abroad, and lay stress on the show in court of witness, appraiser, auditor, and expert.
3. Establish a special website for publicizing sentences of the said cases, making China's adjudication more transparent to the public.
In addition, the reform also includes to expand international exchanges, strengthen training work, help judges grasp the WTO rules and international practices, rectify and abolish judicial documents which do not conform with the WTO rules, and draft and enact new laws concerned.
As reported, China has set up special judicial organs for the said cases in most intermediate People's Courts and above in the past twenty years and ten maritime courts in succession since 1984. From 1978 to 2001, China has handled more than 63,000 commercial and maritime cases of this kind, involving a sum of more than RMB 100bn yuan.
By PD Online Staff Huang Ying
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