Smart courts ease access to legal services

Tribunals nationwide are expanding their use of online platforms and social media accounts. Cao Yin reports.

Editor's note: This is the second in a series looking back at some of the most important, timely or unusual stories covered by China Daily's reporters last year.

On Nov 14, three university students wrote and submitted a civil complaint asking for compensation from an errant driver, just two days after they had been involved in a traffic accident in Beijing's Changping district.

Having collided with the students' car, the driver fled the scene, so they needed to locate him to claim the compensation.

The process was completed successfully and promptly, even though the women had no legal background and were unfamiliar with judicial documents.

"I never thought initiating a lawsuit would be so easy; it is all thanks to a self-service machine in the district people's court in Beijing that helps people write civil complaints," said one of the litigants, identified only as Liang.

When she and her classmates arrived at the court's litigation and legal service center, the machine provided a list of questions about the accident. After the students had answered the questions, a complaint was generated automatically and their case was filed by the court.

On Dec 6, the case was concluded through mediation, and the women received compensation.

"The legal services offered by the smart machine lowered our litigation costs, and we had no need to hire a lawyer to solve the problem. It was so convenient, especially for people like us, with little legal knowledge," Liang said.

Last year, the machines, which help write legal documents as part of "one-stop" services to provide easier access to litigation, were introduced in courts across the capital. Later, their use was gradually extended to tribunals nationwide.

"Building and improving the one-stop litigation service center was our priority last year. It is intended to help local people obtain as many litigation-related services as possible at one time when they come to a court, including filing cases, researching the law and drafting legal documents," said Zhang Zhifu, a judicial official at Haidian District People's Court.

In August, the Supreme People's Court, the nation's top court, issued a guideline that ordered tribunals at all levels to strengthen adoption of the internet and related technologies in each step of the litigation process. The move was intended to further improve judicial efficiency and to end disputes quickly via a wider range of resolutions.

"That is to say, people not only enjoy litigation-related services in the court, but can also obtain mediation or arbitration at the same time. They decide the way they want to deal with their problem and we integrate the legal services into one platform to help them resolve the dispute easily and effectively," Zhang said.

"In short, all-in-one legal service centers are being established in more courts."