Public interest lawsuits clean up bad governance
Judicial system gives prosecutors power to ensure authorities act responsibly
Global relevance
This model is also drawing international attention. The Supreme People's Procuratorate has shared its experience in Vietnam, Brazil and France. China's river basin cases have become part of these exchanges, with the Nansi Lake case included in the United Nations Environment Programme database.
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, assistant secretary-general of the United Nations, said that China has made inspiring progress in environmental legislation and enforcement. Environmental public interest litigation, she said, helps translate environmental laws into strong enforcement, promotes accountability and closes the implementation gap between law and practice.
She added that prosecutors are essential actors in the environmental rule of law because environmental challenges are complex, interdisciplinary and often cross borders, requiring cooperation among judges, lawyers, prosecutors, law enforcement agencies and the public.
China's Ecological Environment Code, adopted earlier this year, has further strengthened the legal foundation for environmental governance. The code requires people's procuratorates to strengthen ecological and environmental procuratorial work and legal supervision, giving prosecutors greater responsibility in ecological protection under the rule of law.
As environmental damage, data risks, food safety and rights protection issues become more complex, public interest litigation is expected to play a larger role. The next challenge is not simply to handle more cases, but to handle better ones — cases that are necessary, precise, legally sound and capable of guiding future governance, according to prosecutor Xu.
The Mangdao River case shows how the mechanism works at ground level. A polluted plot that had remained unresolved for years was cleaned, administrative duties were clarified, and a court confirmed that later rectification could not erase earlier failure to act.
"Public interest litigation must ensure that prosecutors neither fail to act nor overstep. That balance is what allows the system to protect public interests through the rule of law," Xu said.
