China Judicial Reform: Judges on track to improve trial quality and efficiency

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Since the 18th CPC National Congress in late 2012, there have been a number of judicial reforms. The number of judges has been cut, and responsibilities increased. Meng Qingsheng visited a local trial court in southwest China's Sichuan Province to see how the reforms are working.

It's Tang Nandong's fourth year as a judge at this trial court in Chengdu. Before landing the position, she spent five years doing legal research. The court cut its quota of judges in 2016 as part of its judicial system reform. As a result, 35 percent of judges were removed, and Tang remained on the new team.

TANG NANDONG, JUDGE PEOPLE'S COURT OF WUHOU DISTRICT, CHENGDU "I can feel an improved sense of respect and honor by taking up the new position. The reform draws a clear division of responsibilities between judges, legal assistants, and court clerks. It allows me to focus on case trials."

Tang handled more than 400 cases in 2017, and 500 the year before. She has been assigned a full-time legal assistant to help relieve the pressure. But there's one function only she can do–signing court decisions.

TANG NANDONG, JUDGE PEOPLE'S COURT OF WUHOU DISTRICT, CHENGDU "The reform stipulates that judges should sign court decisions themselves, and be responsible for them all their lives. Before, the documents were signed by presiding judges or presidents of the court who may not attend the trials."

A court veteran, Wang Jiazhou has been a judge for 20 years now. He signed more than three thousand court decisions during his term as presiding judge. Wang says the change is necessary to hone judges' professional skills.

WANG JIAZHOU, VICE PRESIDENT PEOPLE'S COURT OF WUHOU DISTRICT, CHENGDU "Signing court decisions pushes judges to learn new things in order to produce well-considered judgments. Relying too much on follow-up approvals by senior judges is not good for their development. It also liberates senior professionals from paperwork, so that they can focus on handling difficult cases."

MENG QINGSHENG CHENGDU "China's ongoing judicial reform includes stricter requirements for professionalism among judges. It's an opportunity for them to foster their expertise and enhance their sense of honor and authority. But it's always a challenge for judges to cope with a rising number of cases. And here they've got a solution."

In early 2017, the court implemented a system to mediate cases so they won't have to reach trial. Tang Nandong is among more than a hundred judges and lawyers providing legal consultancy to local communities in Wuhou District.

TANG NANDONG, JUDGE PEOPLE'S COURT OF WUHOU DISTRICT, CHENGDU "We have conducted various types of mediation to help solve cases at the grassroots level. Last year alone, some five thousand cases did not enter the litigation phase. We are among the first ones in the country to see a drop in the number of cases."

Despite the decline in the number of cases, the court still settled more than 20,000 lawsuits last year. It's a result of longer working hours for Tang and her fellow judges. As judicial reform continues, they are among some 120,000 judges nationwide contributing to China's rule of law.

Meng Qingsheng, CGTN, Chengdu, Sichuan Province.