Consumer-related court cases surge in past 4 years

The number of court cases involving consumers has risen rapidly in the past four years, according to officials from the Supreme People's Court.

Chinese courts heard 482,545 consumer cases from 2010 to 2014, with about 15,000 more in 2013 than three years earlier, said a report issued by the Supreme People's Court on Wednesday.

These cases can be divided into two main types - those related to contracts and infringements, the report said.

The growing number shows more Chinese are aware of their legal rights but also means the nation's laws still need improvement, Sun Jungong, spokesman of the top court, said at a press conference on Wednesday.

The cases also involved various sectors, such as online shopping, educational training and telecommunications, "which also brings challenges for courts to deal with", Sun said.

Several grassroots courts have provided a "green channel" and feedback system to tackle such disputes, aiming to improve trial efficiency and supervise illegal producers, Sun said.

For example, the court in Fuyang, Zhejiang province, has established a fast trial and mediation system to deal with consumer cases that involve small sums of money, the report said, adding that there are no legal fees for such cases.

Courts have also sent more than 800 judicial suggestions to producers and operators, urging them to improve their management, and listening to their feedback, the report said.

"Such advice can prevent disputes between sellers and buyers from the start, and regulate market order," Sun said.

The top court also published judicial interpretations in 2013 on how to handle tourism and food or medicine disputes, aiming to provide judges with more specific or practical ways to hear consumer-related cases.

Zhang Yongjian, chief judge of civil department of the court, said disputes related to food and medicines have increased greatly recently, risking great damage not only to customers' property, but also their lives.

At the press conference, Zhang also shared 10 typical consumer-related cases, hoping to make people better understand what rights they have and how to protect them legally.

caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn