People's Daily: internet court displaying great potential

A view of the Hangzhou Court of the Internet [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

The Hangzhou Court of the Internet, located in the e-commerce hub of Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, has displayed great potential for growth, hailed People's Daily on Feb 2.

Established in August 2017, it is China's first court set up to handle the ever-increasing number of disputes related to the internet.

Since its inauguration, great headway has been made, which has not only accelerated the judicial process, but also improved the business environment of the internet and made it easier for the public to obtain judicial assistance.

As a significant judicial innovation in the era of internet, the internet court aims to maintain network security, resolve internet-related disputes, and further promote the deep integration of the internet and society.

With six online platforms, such as litigation, meditation, electronic evidence, and execution of judgment, the court is also the first in China to use blockchain technology to settle disputes by recording the whole process of electronic data from six dimensions, namely, time, location, character, ex ante, interim and expost.

Another key feature of the court is that it allows litigants to handle a lawsuit entirely online. From case filing to the court hearing, litigants can upload evidence online and even to appear at hearings via video link if they did not live locally.

By the end of October, 2018, the court in Hangzhou has settled 14,000 internet-related lawsuits and concluded 11,700. The average session time and the duration of a trial is about 65 percent and 25 percent shorter than conventional courts, respectively.