Several courts in Beijing will begin using remote video links for judicial hearings on Sept 1 after a two-month pilot project in suburban courts, according to Beijing Higher People's Court on Tuesday.

The change will initially be seen in civil and commercial cases in seven courts, said He Rong, vice-president of the Beijing Higher People's Court.

The courts include the Beijing No 1 Intermediate People's Court, Beijing No 2 Intermediate People's Court and five subordinate courts under the two courts in suburban areas, including Mentougou, Huairou and Pinggu districts and Miyun and Yanqing counties.

Initially, the remote video hearings will be conducted for a trial period.

"The remote video hearings will have the same legal validity as a regular hearing but greatly save on time and cost for litigants as well as the courts," He said during a press conference.

"When the conditions are right, we will extend the system to include all types of cases and cover all courts in the capital."

Remote video hearings are computer-aided simultaneous hearings that use audio-visual systems in which judges and litigants can be in different places.

The pilot, which was conducted in Beijing No 2 Intermediate People's Court and its subordinate court in Huairou district, showed that the practice has been better accepted in suburban areas than expected, according to a press release from the Beijing Higher People's Court.

"It took me half a day by bus to go from my home to the court in the downtown," said Yang Fengyi, who is involved in a labor contract dispute. "The remote video hearing saved my time."

Yang finished the hearing of the appeal in the local court in Huairou district, which is about 60 kilometers from the downtown area.

More than 800 appeals come from the Huairou district court every year. Litigants from the mountainous district have previously had to spend about four hours to reach the No 2 Intermediate People's Court of Beijing.

The court that is furthest from central Beijing, Tanghekou court in Huairou district, is about 120 kilometers away from the city center. The No 1 and No 2 Intermediate People's Courts of Beijing hear all appeals from lower courts.

"The new practice also saves time for judges in intermediate courts. Now, they don't have to go to the suburbs to hear cases. This enhances judicial efficiency," said Zhang Liuqing, a chief judge with Beijing Higher People's Court.

Remote video hearings follow strict principles, which include legality and equality. While litigants can ask for remote video hearings, the collegiate bench is required to get agreement from all parties before agreeing to a remote video hearing.

Training sessions are being held to improve judges' performances before the cameras, according to Zhang. Orientation panels will also be set up and DVDs made available to help suburban residents involved in cases become familiar with the new system.

The public is allowed to attend trials in the courtrooms as well as watch them on screen.

A live broadcast of a trial on Tuesday showed that the audio-visual system was sufficient for the judge with the No 2 Intermediate People's Court to receive photocopied documents from a remote court in Huairou district, but the judge had to repeat her questions frequently over a microphone.

China Daily

(China Daily 09/01/2010)