On-site seminars increase legal awareness in business community

Judges from the Beijing International Commercial Tribunal held a legal seminar for businesses in a cultural and technological park in the capital on Dec 4, aiming to promote high-quality economic development by enhancing legal education for enterprises.

Mei Yu, deputy chief judge of the tribunal, offered a detailed overview to more than 10 businesses that day. She covered topics such as what constitutes foreign-related elements in international commercial cases, the types of cases that fall under the tribunal's jurisdiction, how to identify foreign laws, and the various methods available for resolving international commercial disputes.

She discussed with the enterprises the legal challenges they might encounter while expanding their operations overseas, such as researching foreign laws, deciding whether to resolve disputes through mediation, arbitration, or litigation, and what strategies can be applied for protecting intellectual property rights.

Engaging with businesses to understand their judicial needs and providing legal education and assistance through seminars with entrepreneurs has become a routine practice for many courts across the country.

"Conducting activities within enterprises to interpret the latest legal knowledge and judicial policies provides a solid rule of law foundation for our healthy development. It also boosts our confidence in operating in accordance with the law and progressing steadily," said He Liang, an employee from an engineering company in Hainan province.

During an on-site legal event conducted by a court in Chengmai county in Hainan, He told them that his firm was involved in 20 cases and failed to collect debts from multiple individuals, which severely affected the enterprise's normal business.

After reviewing these disputes, the court identified the key points of contention between the parties and successfully mediated 18 of the cases within just eight days, helping He's company recover 1.9 million yuan in outstanding debts.

He praised the judicial efforts, highlighting the necessity of legal education for enterprises to maintain sustainable and healthy development.

Xia Lin, a judge from the court, revealed that she and her colleagues have provided legal courses to enterprises more than 60 times in the past three years, promptly addressing their difficulties in operations and understanding their urgent legal demands.

Gao Xiaoli, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court, China's top court, emphasized the importance of guiding enterprises to operate with integrity and in compliance with the law. "Encouraging business owners to know their rights and how to defend them legally, while also steering companies to follow the rules, be honest and compete fairly, is key to their development. It's all about making integrity and legal compliance part of a company's core values," she said.

"Doing so helps create a fair legal environment that's beneficial for the ongoing growth and health of the private sector," she added.