On October 16, the Supreme People’s Court of China released key judicial data for the period from January to September 2024, as reported through their official WeChat account.
In an interview, a spokesperson from the Supreme Court highlighted the court’s commitment to ensuring that citizens perceive fairness and justice in every judicial case. They reported that the courts handled approximately 35.973 million cases, which marks a 5.78% increase from the previous year, though the growth rate has decreased by 3.34 percentage points compared to the same period last year. The total number of concluded cases reached about 33.782 million, reflecting a 6.20% increase. Notably, the successful pre-trial mediation cases numbered 10.204 million, a significant increase of 24.04%.
When asked about the execution of judicial decisions, the spokesperson mentioned that the acceptance of enforcement-related cases slightly decreased to about 25.768 million, with a minuscule decline of 0.05%. In criminal matters, the courts processed 1.282 million cases, a slight decrease of 0.36%, while civil and commercial cases saw an increase of 2.78%, totaling about 15.694 million cases. The spokesperson noted a significant reduction in unresolved litigation spanning over a year, which decreased by 58.02% year-on-year, indicating a visible impact in managing long-standing cases.
The Supreme Court has actively implemented measures to reduce formalism and lighten the burden on local courts. They streamlined their quality management indicators from 26 to 18, ensuring that the revised system effectively highlights shortcomings and areas for improvement. By the end of September, all indicators had entered a reasonable range, displaying positive trends in 16 of them.
The spokesperson emphasized the court’s focus on pre-trial mediation, noting its success in resolving conflicts before they escalate to litigation. Cases of civil and administrative disputes filed in courts reached about 24.216 million, a 10.94% increase, although the growth rate has slowed compared to last year. It was highlighted that 95.84% of pre-trial mediation cases were voluntarily fulfilled, showing an upward trend in compliance.
In discussing criminal cases, the spokesperson highlighted the court’s strict enforcement of laws to protect national security and social stability, noting that there were about 910,000 first-instance criminal cases, a 0.90% increase. They also reported on the ongoing battle against drunk driving and gambling-related crimes and the law enforcement’s response to tax-related criminal activities.
Regarding civil and commercial cases, the spokesperson indicated that the courts handled about 13.79 million first-instance cases, with a focus on residential disputes and financial matters. The court is actively working to resolve various issues within the realms of cross-border financing and trade while ensuring intellectual property rights are upheld.
Lastly, when addressing administrative cases, the ongoing efforts to create a supportive relationship between the judiciary and the administrative sector were noted. Administrative first-instance cases received were around 222,000, reflecting a 6.66% decrease, with a concerted effort to resolve disputes at local levels. The court is also focused on executing judgments efficiently, reporting a decrease in enforcement cases but an increase in the overall satisfaction of fulfilling financial rights for winning parties.
Overall, the spokesperson reiterated the Supreme Court’s commitment to improving judicial efficacy and ensuring justice is accessible to all segments of society.
