A NEW online platform for searching civil, criminal, and administrative cases was unveiled to the public Tuesday in China, reflecting a more diverse approach to ensuring judicial transparency, according to an official from the country’s top court. Yang Wanming, vice president of the Supreme People’s Court, announced during a news conference the establishment of the platform, which currently contains details of 3,177 cases covering various legal issues that the public are most concerned about, such as cyberbullying, telecom fraud, food safety, self-defense, and domestic violence. The cases were sourced not only from courts nationwide but also from law firms, universities, and even non-legal institutions, such as a middle school, thus broadening the types of cases and enriching their origins. Yang emphasized that all the cases underwent a rigorous review by the top court and were deemed to hold reference value before being made accessible online. For example, the platform disclosed 34 cases pertaining to justifiable defense, aiming to assist judges in accurately applying the provision and grasping the essence of the legal concept. Yu Haisong, deputy head of the top court’s research office, highlighted the significance of a case involving a man convicted of mentally abusing his ex-girlfriend and given a prison term, as it helped clarify the scope of family members for the crime of maltreatment in the Criminal Law. According to the law, people will be convicted of maltreatment if they physically or mentally abuse their family members, such as by assaulting, insulting, confining, binding or leaving them in the cold, or failing to offer them medical care or forcing them to do excessive labor. The above mentioned case clarifies that those in long-term stable relationships and living together can be deemed as family members even without the legal binding of marriage. The new platform, accessible at https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn, enables users to search for cases while learning about the disputes, laws applied, and the rationale behind court verdicts, thereby providing valuable legal knowledge to visitors. Zhou Jiahai, head of the office, described the platform as a novel initiative to optimize the country’s legal services and promote judicial openness, emphasizing that it would help to standardize verdict-rendering practices across the nation and enhance the quality of case hearings. He also noted that, with the continuous adaptation, abolition, and modification of laws, in addition to the adjustment of judicial interpretations, the platform would ensure that the cases are regularly updated to provide users with the most up-to-date and accurate legal information. The official also confirmed that another verdict disclosure website — China Judgments Online — initiated by the top court in 2013, would continue to operate alongside the new platform. He said that the two platforms are designed to complement each other in serving the public’s growing legal needs, further enhancing judicial transparency. (China Daily) | 