Shandong Province Supreme People's Court in Jinan. (Photo : Reuters)
In the same location as the enormous Foxconn industrial estate that continues to partner with big-name tech brands like Apple Inc., a Chinese circuit court was established for the first time on Wednesday.
The First Circuit Court of China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) was inaugurated in China's Shenzhen City, in the Guangdong Province, as part of a nationwide overhaul that seeks to distribute legal work across the country's court system more evenly.
Shenzhen City's first circuit court will primarily be charged with major administrative, civil and commercial cases that were previously heard by the branches of the Supreme People's Court (SPC) in the provinces of Guangdong, Hainan, and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Supreme Court spokesman Sun Jungong said to reporters at the inauguration on Wednesday that cases pertaining to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan will also be heard before the new court.
According to the Bloomberg news outlet, the Chinese government established the circuit court to also "reduce the interference of local officials in the judiciary."
The news outlet's website reported on Wednesday that the inauguration follows on from the Chinese Communist Party's agreement at a leadership meeting last year, which committed to the strengthening of the role of the nation's courts, as well as the protection of judges from official interference.
According to the SPC, the circuit court model will lead to the quicker resolution of disputes, which can be filed within local communities.
The central office of the SPC will also be able to concentrate on judicial policies and more complex cases that "have profound significance in unifying the application of law."
A Second Circuit Court will be inaugurated in Shenyang in Liaoning Province at a later stage.
