Revision clears way for administrative suits

Administrative proceedings have seen a rapid increase in the first quarter of this year, surpassing the total for 2014, and are expected to increase further after the implementation on Friday of a revised system for lawsuit registration, according to a senior judge.

Li Guangyu, deputy chief judge of the administrative court of the Supreme People's Court, said on Monday that the revised Administrative Proceedings Law - the first amendment since the law's implementation 24 years ago - will help remove obstacles to filing, hearing and executing proceedings.

Administrative proceedings occur when people or companies believe their interests have been violated by government departments and file a lawsuit.

For example, the Ningguo county government in Jiaozuo, Henan province, demolished the chicken farm of a resident in 2011. The owner filed a lawsuit, and a court declared the demolition illegal and ordered the county government to pay compensation.

The revised proceedings and the judicial explanation, which will take effect on Friday, list detailed requirements covering 10 aspects in the process, ranging from the filing of administrative lawsuits and the time limit for the start of proceedings, to defendants attending hearings and types of sentencing.

"The revised registration lawsuits system has attracted huge attention from the public," Li said, adding that courts nationwide have received more administrative lawsuits in the first three months of this year than for all of last year.

"It's expected that more administrative lawsuits will be filed to the courts."

Mo Yuchuan, an administrative law professor at Renmin University of China, said the revised registration system will provide a legal route for people to protect their rights.

zhengjinran@chinadaily.com.cn