Six Provisions of the Supreme People's Court on Openness in Judicial System

最高人民法院关于司法公开的六项规定

Promulgating Institution: Supreme People's Court

Document Number: Fa Fa [2009] No. 58

Promulgating Date: 12/08/2009

Effective Date: 12/08/2009

颁布机关: 最高人民法院

文    号: 法发[2009]58号

颁布时间: 12/08/2009

实施时间: 12/08/2009

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正文

In order to further implement the constitutional principle of public trial, expand the scope of openness in the judicial system, broaden the channel for openness within the judicial system, ensure the people's rights to stay informed, participate in, express views on, and supervise the work of the people's courts, and increase public trust and confidence in the justice system, protect the legitimate rights and interests of the parties concerned, promote judicial democracy, regulate judicial conduct, and improve fairness and impartiality of the judicial system, these Provisions are formulated according to the principles of law-based comprehensive openness and timely publication.

1. Openness in Initiation of Cases

At the initiation stage of a case, the relevant information shall be announced to the parties concerned in a convenient and efficient way. Litigation related issues shall be announced to the public and concerned parties by appropriate means, including requirements and procedure for initiation of a case, format of legal documents, litigation fee standards, procedures for mitigation, reduction and exemption of litigation fees, the important rights and obligations of the parties concerned, risk indication in litigation and enforcement, alternative dispute resolution other than lawsuit etc. The relevant people's court shall notify the parties concerned in a timely manner of the information concerning the acceptance of a case. If the relevant people's court refuses to accept a case, it shall promptly serve the parties concerned with the written decision on refusal of acceptance of the case, the written notice on refusal of acceptance of application for retrial, the written decision on rejection of application for retrial and other relevant legal documents in accordance with the law, and state the reason therefor and inform the concerned parties of their litigation rights.

2. Openness in Trials

The people's courts shall formulate and improve upon rules for the observation and reporting of trials in an orderly, open and effective manner, thereby eliminating the relevant barriers and enabling the public and news media to have proper access to the relevant information and exercise their right to monitoring. In the event of a public trial in accordance of the law, observers shall enter into the courtroom after going through security checks. Considering the objective factors such as limited space of the courtroom, the people's court may take measures to meet the needs of the public and the news media to gain understanding of the actual situation of trials, including issuance of "observer's pass", network video of trials or live or recorded broadcasting of trials, etc. All the evidence, preferably authenticated, shall be presented before the court. The people's court shall summon the relevant party to appear in court as a witness or expert witness unless provisions of the relevant laws or judicial interpretations stipulate that such witness or expert witness is allowed not to appear in court. Basic information pertaining to a single judge, members of a collegiate panel or members of a judicial committee shall be announced and the parties concerned shall have the right to apply for withdrawal in accordance with the law. The information pertaining to the extension of the time limit for the trail of a case shall be made available to the parties concerned. The people's court shall announce the court decision on a case in the courtroom or by other public means irrespective of the public trial of a case.

3. Openness in Enforcement

The basis, standard, rules, and procedures for enforcement and the process of enforcement shall be announced to the public and the parties concerned, unless there is an involvement of information pertaining to State or business secrets, personal privacy or other information the disclosure of which is legally prohibited. The people's courts shall further improve the inquiry system for law enforcement information and expand the inquiry scope to provide convenience to the parties concerned in inquiring into the information concerning the enforcement of cases. The people's courts shall, after taking enforcement measures such as sealing-up, detainment, freezing and transfer, timely intimate both parties to the litigation of the adoption of such measures. The people's court shall inform the parties concerned of the information pertaining to process of selecting the institutions for authentication, appraisal and auction etc. and the results thereof. The collection and grant of enforcement funds, the procedure and result for custody, evaluation, auction, or sale of a subject matter of enforcement and other key processes and important matters shall be informed to the parties concerned in a timely manner. Any major progress in enforcement proceedings shall be notified to the concerned and all interested parties.

4. Openness in Hearings

With respect to cases involving major rights and interests of the parties concerned or an outside party, which party is not subject to the trial procedure, the people's courts shall publicly conduct the hearings of such cases. With respect to cases involving application for retrial, difficult and complicated litigation issues involving complaint reporting and petition, judicial compensation, objection to enforcement or cases involving commutation of punishment or release on parole of defendants, criminal dereliction of duty or cases having significant influence etc., the people's courts shall make an announcement with respect to a public hearing if the said cases require a public hearing in accordance with the relevant provisions. The relevant provisions in relation to public trials shall be applicable to the scope, method, procedure, etc. for public hearings.

5. Openness in Documents

A judgment document shall fully state the parties' views on action and defence, reasons for admission of evidence, ascertainment of facts, reasoning and interpretation of applicable laws, thereby achieving openness in arguments. The people's court may, according to the needs of legal publicity, legal research, case direction, unify judgment criteria, edit, print, and publish a variety of judgment documents in a unified manner. Judgment documents may be published on the internet unless the relevant cases involve State secrets, juvenile delinquency and personal privacy, cases that are unsuitable for publication, or cases closed through mediation. Where the parties concerned raise an objection to the publication of the relevant judgment documents on the internet and have justified reasons for such objection, the relevant people's court may decide not to publish such judgment documents on the internet. For the purpose of protecting the legitimate rights of a citizen, legal person or any other organization involved in a judgment document, the relevant people's court may conduct necessary technical processing of the relevant information contained in the judgment document to be published. The people's courts shall pay attention to the gathering of opinions and suggestions from all strata of the society with respect to judgment documents and consider such opinions as a reference guide for improving their work.

6. Openness in Trial-Related Matters

The people's court shall publicize its adjudication and administration work and other administration activities relating to the adjudication work. The people's courts at all levels shall gradually establish and improve their websites and other information dissemination platforms. They shall explore and establish the network inquiry system for the process of transferring a variety of cases that ensure convenience of the parties concerned in inquiring about the progress of a case in a timely manner. They shall, in a convenient and efficient manner, publicize the guidelines and policies relating to their work, a variety of regulatory documents and guiding opinions on adjudication and trial as well as non-confidential statistical data and analysis reports, and publicize the trial, important research achievements and deposition etc., of major cases. They shall establish and improve the systems for registration of cases intervened, caution against intercession and interference, circulation of supervision etc, communicate to the public and the parties concerned, the information concerning interference of cases in violation of the prescribed procedures and subjecting people's courts to supervision, and effectively protect the public's right to stay informed and the parties' right to supervise government affairs.

The people's courts at all levels shall effectively emancipate minds, renew ideas, and be courageous in innovation. They shall proactively take open and transparent measures while enabling the parties concerned to become aware of and fully realize their litigation rights. The realization of judicial openness shall serve as an important indicator for measuring the democratization level of the judicial system and for evaluating the courts' work. The supreme people's court shall further study and formulate an appraisal standard for the implementation of the judicial openness system and include the said appraisal standard within the system for appraising the work of people's courts aimed at improving the assessment and evaluation mechanism for judicial openness. The people's court at a higher level shall strengthen its guidance over the judicial openness work of the people's court at a lower level, organize special examination on a regular basis, circulate the results of such examination, and improve the supervision and inspection systems for judicial openness. The people's courts at all levels shall increase the input of funds, facilities, manpower, and technology in the work related to judicial openness, and establish a material guarantee mechanism for judicial openness. They shall unclog channels, establish platforms, diligently congregate, listen to and handle reporting of complaints, comments or suggestions from the public with respect to the implementation of the judicial openness system, and establish and improve the feedback mechanism for judicial openness. They shall set forth detailed segmentations for obligations in the implementation of judicial openness and clearly define their responsibilities. If the principle of public trial is violated during a legal proceeding, or relevant provisions regarding judicial openness are violated in other work of the people's court, appropriate investigations shall be made and liabilities imposed. Meanwhile, the people's courts shall pay attention to set up advanced examples, commend exemplary individuals and organizations, promote advanced experience, and establish and improve the accountability and commendation mechanisms for judicial openness.

These Provisions shall become effective from the date of promulgation. In case of any discrepancy between these Provisions and the relevant provisions previously promulgated, these Provisions shall prevail.

    为进一步落实公开审判的宪法原则，扩大司法公开范围，拓宽司法公开渠道，保障人民群众对人民法院工作的知情权、参与权、表达权和监督权，维护当事人的合法权益，提高司法民主水平，规范司法行为，促进司法公正，根据有关诉讼法的规定和人民法院的工作实际，按照依法公开、及时公开、全面公开的原则，制定本规定。

    一、立案公开

    立案阶段的相关信息应当通过便捷、有效的方式向当事人公开。各类案件的立案条件、立案流程、法律文书样式、诉讼费用标准、缓减免交诉讼费程序、当事人重要权利义务、诉讼和执行风险提示以及可选择的诉讼外纠纷解决方式等内容，应当通过适当的形式向社会和当事人公开。人民法院应当及时将案件受理情况通知当事人。对于不予受理的，应当将不予受理裁定书、不予受理再审申请通知书、驳回再审申请裁定书等相关法律文件依法及时送达当事人，并说明理由，告知当事人诉讼权利。

    二、庭审公开

    建立健全有序开放、有效管理的旁听和报道庭审的规则，消除公众和媒体知情监督的障碍。依法公开审理的案件，旁听人员应当经过安全检查进入法庭旁听。因审判场所等客观因素所限，人民法院可以发放旁听证或者通过庭审视频、直播录播等方式满足公众和媒体了解庭审实况的需要。所有证据应当在法庭上公开，能够当庭认证的，应当当庭认证。除法律、司法解释规定可以不出庭的情形外，人民法院应当通知证人、鉴定人出庭作证。独任审判员、合议庭成员、审判委员会委员的基本情况应当公开，当事人依法有权申请回避。案件延长审限的情况应当告知当事人。人民法院对公开审理或者不公开审理的案件，一律在法庭内或者通过其他公开的方式公开宣告判决。

    三、执行公开

    执行的依据、标准、规范、程序以及执行全过程应当向社会和当事人公开，但涉及国家秘密、商业秘密、个人隐私等法律禁止公开的信息除外。进一步健全和完善执行信息查询系统，扩大查询范围，为当事人查询执行案件信息提供方便。人民法院采取查封、扣押、冻结、划拨等执行措施后应及时告知双方当事人。人民法院选择鉴定、评估、拍卖等机构的过程和结果向当事人公开。执行款项的收取发放、执行标的物的保管、评估、拍卖、变卖的程序和结果等重点环节和重点事项应当及时告知当事人。执行中的重大进展应当通知当事人和利害关系人。

    四、听证公开

    人民法院对开庭审理程序之外的涉及当事人或者案外人重大权益的案件实行听证的，应当公开进行。人民法院对申请再审案件、涉法涉诉信访疑难案件、司法赔偿案件、执行异议案件以及对职务犯罪案件和有重大影响案件被告人的减刑、假释案件等，按照有关规定实行公开听证的，应当向社会发布听证公告。听证公开的范围、方式、程序等参照庭审公开的有关规定。

    五、文书公开

    裁判文书应当充分表述当事人的诉辩意见、证据的采信理由、事实的认定、适用法律的推理与解释过程，做到说理公开。人民法院可以根据法制宣传、法学研究、案例指导、统一裁判标准的需要，集中编印、刊登各类裁判文书。除涉及国家秘密、未成年人犯罪、个人隐私以及其他不适宜公开的案件和调解结案的案件外，人民法院的裁判文书可以在互联网上公开发布。当事人对于在互联网上公开裁判文书提出异议并有正当理由的，人民法院可以决定不在互联网上发布。为保护裁判文书所涉及到的公民、法人和其他组织的正当权利，可以对拟公开发布的裁判文书中的相关信息进行必要的技术处理。人民法院应当注意收集社会各界对裁判文书的意见和建议，作为改进工作的参考。

    六、审务公开

    人民法院的审判管理工作以及与审判工作有关的其他管理活动应当向社会公开。各级人民法院应当逐步建立和完善互联网站和其他信息公开平台。探索建立各类案件运转流程的网络查询系统，方便当事人及时查询案件进展情况。通过便捷、有效的方式及时向社会公开关于法院工作的方针政策、各种规范性文件和审判指导意见以及非涉密司法统计数据及分析报告，公开重大案件的审判情况、重要研究成果、活动部署等。建立健全过问案件登记、说情干扰警示、监督情况通报等制度，向社会和当事人公开违反规定程序过问案件的情况和人民法院接受监督的情况，切实保护公众的知情监督权和当事人的诉讼权利。

    全国各级人民法院要切实解放思想，更新观念，大胆创新，把积极主动地采取公开透明的措施与不折不扣地实现当事人的诉讼权利结合起来，把司法公开的实现程度当作衡量司法民主水平、评价法院工作的重要指标。最高人民法院将进一步研究制定司法公开制度落实情况的考评标准，并将其纳入人民法院工作考评体系，完善司法公开的考核评价机制。上级人民法院要加强对下级人民法院司法公开工作的指导，定期组织专项检查，通报检查结果，完善司法公开的督促检查机制。各级人民法院要加大对司法公开工作在资金、设施、人力、技术方面的投入，建立司法公开的物质保障机制。要疏通渠道，设立平台，认真收集、听取和处理群众关于司法公开制度落实情况的举报投诉或意见建议，建立健全司法公开的情况反馈机制。要细化和分解落实司法公开的职责，明确责任，对于在诉讼过程中违反审判公开原则或者在法院其他工作中违反司法公开相关规定的，要追究相应责任，同时要注意树立先进典型，表彰先进个人和单位，推广先进经验，建立健全司法公开的问责表彰机制。

    本规定自公布之日起实施。本院以前发布的相关规定与本规定不一致的，以本规定为准。