Civil Code ensures people-centered justice

Volunteers discuss the Civil Code with residents of Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province, in April. SHI YUCHENG/FOR CHINA DAILY

The case revolved around an apartment owned by a deceased academic, who had lived in a dorm at his college while one of his three children occupied the apartment.

When the father died, the occupant decided to remain in the apartment, but under the Civil Code, he had to reach an agreement with his siblings and the college, which owned the property rights because the academic had used the school's preferential policies to purchase the apartment at a favorable rate.

The occupant's siblings agreed that he could stay, but only on the condition that they each received a financial settlement equal to the sum they would have gained if the apartment had been sold.

Moreover, the defendant had to accept the responsibility of dealing with clearing their father's dorm room－which contained items of scholarly value, such as books, documents and artifacts, along with some furniture－before handing it back to the college authorities.