China Justice Observer

中司观察

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China’s Supreme People’s Court

The Supreme People's Court (SPC, 最高人民法院) is China's Supreme Court .  

As of Jun. 2017, the SPC has 367 judges. 

The SPC’s main spheres of competence are to try cases and to issue judicial interpretations and cases, as follows:

1. The SPC handles the following cases: 

(1) first-instance cases that are under the jurisdiction of the SPC or that it deems to be under its jurisdiction; 

(2) cases of appeals or protests lodged against judgments and orders rendered by the high people's courts;

(3) cases of appeals or protests lodged pursuant to provisions of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress;

(4) the retrial cases initiated in accordance with the adjudication supervision procedure;

(5) the death penalty cases submitted by the high people's courts for approval. 

2. The SPC may give interpretations with respect to the issues concerning the law application in the judicial work and may issue guiding cases.

SPC Interprets International Treaties & Practices in Chinese Courts

Thu, 09 May 2024 Insights CJO Staff Contributors Team

In December 2023, China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) reaffirmed the supremacy of international treaties over domestic laws in foreign-related civil and commercial cases with its “Interpretation on Several Issues Concerning the Application of International Treaties and International Practices”(关于审理涉外民商事案件适用国际条约和国际惯例若干问题的解释).

Thus Spoke Chinese Judges on International Civil Jurisdiction: Insights from Chinese Supreme Court Justices on 2023 Civil Procedure Law Amendment (1)

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 Insights Meng Yu 余萌

The insights from Chinese Supreme Court Justices on the 2023 Civil Procedure Law Amendment highlight significant modifications to international civil procedure rules, including expanded jurisdiction of Chinese courts, enhancements in consensual jurisdiction, and coordination of international jurisdictional conflicts.