'Container court' in Yunnan strives to spread legal awareness

A local court in Kunming, Yunnan province has been operating out of iron containers for the past two years, ever since the court's previous office building was demolished to make way for a road extension.

Ma Junmei, a judge in the court, recalled that one litigant had to verify whether he had arrived at the correct destination when he saw officers working in containers.

Nevertheless, the court has heard over 1,700 cases in the past two years, despite its humble environs. Additionally, in order to provide local people with convenient access to legal facilities and popularize legal knowledge, the court acts as a circuit court once per month.

Judge Zhang Yun explained that the circuit court cases are mostly civil disputes, covering issues of marriage, debt and credit, as well as property inheritance. With aims of educating the public, the court selects typical cases to introduce legal concepts to the local people.

Chen Xiaohe, director of the justice office, said that the court works to bring legal services directly to residents. For those living on low incomes, the court reduces its charges or even provides services free of charge.