Authorities spotlight 10 landmark court cases to emphasize marital, family harmony

Chinese authorities spotlighted 10 landmark family and marriage cases on Wednesday, highlighting a coordinated effort to promote family harmony, maintain social stability, and strengthen grassroots governance.

The cases were jointly released by the Supreme People's Court — China's top court — the All-China Women's Federation, and the Ministry of Justice. The disputes primarily involved divorce, child custody, inheritance of family assets, and the responsibility to support aging parents.

The top court emphasized that marital and family harmony forms the cornerstone of social stability, calling for greater use of mediation, specialized community resources, and technology to resolve family-related disputes more effectively.

One featured case involved a Beijing couple, who divorced in 2023. During proceedings, a local court awarded custody of their seven-year-old son to the mother, surnamed Wang, citing the father's unstable housing and employment as detrimental to the child's well-being. Although Li, the father, was granted regular visitation rights, Wang later cut off contact, fearing she might lose custody in the future.

In response, Li sought court enforcement, accusing Wang of withholding their son and requesting a custody change. The bitter dispute took a visible toll on the child, who developed insomnia, stopped attending school regularly, and withdrew from communication, raising serious concerns about his mental health.

To address the issue, the court collaborated with the local women's federation, the justice bureau, the civil affairs department, and social organizations to provide psychological support for the child and assess his emotional state. The boy said he did not want his parents to argue, nor did he want to choose between them. He added he also hoped to see his father more often.

Moved by video footage showing their son's distress during interactions with each parent, both Li and Wang fell silent. For the first time, they recognized how their conflict was harming his mental wellbeing.

Following these sessions, the court facilitated dialogue between the parents to resolve their conflict through mediation. Both agreed to respect the custody arrangement and to provide a more supportive environment for their son. Li's visitation rights have since been properly enforced.

Praising the case as a model, the top court has instructed courts nationwide to strengthen long-term coordination mechanisms for resolving family disputes, so as to promote high-quality mediation efforts that better protect the well-being of families and children caught in marital conflict.