Top court mulls pilot reform of trial-level system

BEIJING -- A proposal on a pilot reform of the trial-level system was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for deliberation on Tuesday.

It proposes authorizing the Supreme People's Court (SPC) to launch a pilot reform of the trial-level system within the SPC and the people's courts in 12 provincial-level regions, including Beijing and Tianjin.

China has four levels of general courts: primary people's courts, intermediate people's courts, high people's courts and the SPC. The trial-level system pertains to the procedural arrangements for the jurisdiction of each level of court in handling litigation.

The proposed reform is expected to adjust the jurisdiction rules for civil and administrative cases on the basis of forum levels, the transfer of jurisdiction, and the procedures for applying for retrial at the SPC, according to Chief Justice Zhou Qiang.

It is also expected to bring about explorations of improving the operation mechanism of the adjudicatory power of the SPC, said Zhou as he presented the proposal to lawmakers.