China has established its first circuit court in the city of Shenzhen, in the southern province of Guangdong. Nine presiding judges and four officials have been selected to serve in the court on the level as a branch of the supreme people's court, which will oversee cases across a few provinces. The move follows a decision from a key meeting of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in late October, that focused on the rule of law.
A milestone in China's judicial reform process. The nameplate for China's first circuit court was unveiled at an inauguration ceremony by high-ranking officials including the President of the Supreme People's Court, and the Party Secretary of Guangdong Province.
The Shenzhen court will have jurisdiction over the provinces of Guangdong and Hainan, and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
It's the first, but not the last. Another circuit court will open in Shenyang, capital of the northeast province of Liaoning, in a few days.
It will be in charge of cases across Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces.
"The reason for establishing the circuit court in Shenzhen is that Guangdong Province has seen rapid economic development these past years, and the number of civil and criminal cases has increased. It's also near Hong Kong and Macao. In the country's northeast, the region is undergoing an industrial transformation. This has led to many lawsuits. The circuit court in Shenyang will help with the rejuvenation of the northeastern rust belt," He Xiaorong with Supreme People's Court said.
These courts will facilitate public filing of lawsuits from local communities and help save time. No longer will a litigant in the very southern province of Guangdong have to fly up to Beijing.
They are also seen as a way of increasing judicial independence, by reducing local officials' power to interfere in the judiciary.
The Supreme People's Court has appointed Liu Guixiang as head judge of the No.1 circuit court, who has promised a hands-on approach.
"We will hear cases not just in Shenzhen. We will go to Hainan Province or Guangxi to help solve conflicts at a local level. We will also dispatch presiding judges and other staff to local communities to hear judicial cases filed by the public," Liu said.
The United States boasts a similar federal circuit court system.
The American circuit courts were the original intermediate level courts of the US federal court system.
They have jurisdiction over civil suits in addition to adjudicating cases involving major federal crimes.