Technology provides ease of access to information

In addition to narrowing the gap between litigants and the Supreme People's Court, China's six circuit courts are also providing better legal services via e-platforms.

Similar to the systems in banks, litigants obtain a number by swiping their identify card in legal centers responsible for filing cases with the circuit courts. They can then search for information related to the law or the courts with electronic devices, according to a statement issued by the nation's top court.

For example, at the center in the Fifth Circuit Court in Chongqing, litigants can use touch screens to find out how to lodge an appeal or discover related information, such as which judges are in court, how to negotiate with other litigants in the hope of settling a dispute out of court, and also learn about verdicts handed down in similar cases.

"Our center provides litigants with pens, paper, water and glasses," Li Dong, director of the court's center, told Legal Daily. "Our system is being upgraded, and when it is finished, litigants will be able to search for information about lawsuits simply by swiping their ID cards."

In addition to providing greater convenience through technology, the circuit courts can also take advantage of an internal network to interact with the headquarters in Beijing, according to the Supreme People's Court's statement.

That means judges in circuit courts do not have to visit the capital for meetings with officials or to report to their superiors, which saves time and money, the statement said.

In February, Zhou Qiang, president of the Supreme People's Court, called on tribunals at every level to accelerate the building of "intelligent courts" to ensure the network will allow legal professionals to study judicial data and provide effective services for litigants.

So far, 3,520 courts nationwide are able to use the network to hear cases, provide legal services and supervise proceedings.

The top court has also established academies to study cases, research data and search for information.

"As well as improving the system by using cloud computing, big data and the Internet Plus strategy, we're also considering using artificial intelligence to promote the establishment of the information platform," Zhou said.