Circuit trials bring justice closer to home

Circuit trials have enabled people to feel that fairness and justice are close by, said Li Yingxin, a member of the National Committee for the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, on Friday.

Li, who is also vice-president of Tongzhou District's People's Court in Beijing, said "circuit trial" refers to a form of hearing in which litigants can file a case locally, and the court will hold hearings and judges will mediate on the case in that location soon after.

"Circuit trials break down the limits of the venues and forms of hearings, bringing justice closer to the people," she said ahead of the opening of the fifth session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee on Friday afternoon.

Li recalled one case she had dealt with, in which a migrant worker was injured after falling on a construction site. As the contractor refused to compensate him, the worker initiated a lawsuit against the contractor.

The worker was hospitalized and unable to appear in court, so Li moved the hearing to his bedside, where the doctors and other patients witnessed it. After nearly two hours of mediation, the contractor agreed to pay overdue medical fees on the spot, along with a mediation agreement on subsequent compensation.

In recent years, internet technology has changed circuit trials, due to the emergence of online courts. In 2020, courts at all levels in Beijing conducted more than 280,000 online trials. Last year, the number rose to 480,000, according to Li.

"Now, more and more judges no longer have to travel across mountains and rivers to attend such trials, and litigants can experience the judicial process without leaving home," she said.