Online platform for property in legal cases opens in Beijing

A Beijing court opened a new online platform for property handling on Tuesday to prevent individuals from transferring properties during case hearings and ensure verdicts can be effectively implemented.

"The platform is a new step in the development of a technology-friendly court," said Wu Zaicun, president of the Beijing No 1 Intermediate People's Court.

Under China's Civil Procedure Law, litigants can apply to courts to freeze properties of the other side in lawsuits, and courts can seize, freeze or seal up properties if they consider the application valid after reviews.

In the past, litigants had to go to courts to offer property clues and related materials, "but now, with the new platform, they can submit such applications online", said Zhou Weiping, deputy chief judge of the intermediate court's case filing department.

"It'll save much time for litigants, and improve the review efficiency of judges," he added.

The court said the platform was set up amid a rapidly rising number of such applications in recent years.

Since January, the court has received 218 applications, up 122 percent year-on-year, court statistics show.

In recent years, Chinese courts have established several online platforms, such as those for releasing verdicts and case filing, to provide convenience to litigants and increase judicial efficiency.