Courts use of technology makes legal services more accessible

Thanks to various technologies widely used in the construction of courts and judicial work, individuals and departments can access and enjoy better legal services in China, a report said.

The report on Informatization Development of Chinese courts was issued by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Law on Thursday.

The application of information and digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, 5G, big data and blockchain, in courts have played an important role in helping uphold justice, improving judicial efficiency and supporting the Chinese path to modernization, the report said.

For example, Jiangsu High People's Court has opened a system to serve judicial auction online, and a coordinated platform to share judicial resources and case information has also been set up among courts in the Yangtze River Delta, it said.

It added that many courts nationwide have put legal services, such as case filing, pretrial mediation and online payment, to help litigants and their lawyers save time and costs.

As per data, by the end of last year, more than 100,000 institutes and 410,000 mediators have joined an online platform established by the Supreme People's Court, China's top court, successfully helping solve 12.04 million civil and administrative disputes through mediation.

Meanwhile, more than 77 percent of practicing lawyers across the country have registered at another online platform to deal with case-related affairs, such as reading legal materials and contacting judges, it said.

Calling for embracing the fast development of technologies, it added that Chinese courts will continue to deepen the technological application in work, so as to meet the increasing legal demand of people and enhance judicial capability.