China Justice Observer

中司观察

EnglishArabicChinese (Simplified)DutchFrenchGermanHindiItalianJapaneseKoreanPortugueseRussianSpanishSwedishHebrewIndonesianVietnameseThaiTurkishMalay

Shenzhen’s Foreign, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan-Related Family Court Holds Its First Hearing

Mon, 10 Oct 2022
Categories: China Legal Trends

On the morning of 25 Aug. 2022, the Shenzhen Family Trial Center Involving Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan and Foreign Factors (深圳涉外涉港澳台家事审判中心, hereinafter the “Family Court”) within Longhua Primary People’s Court of Shenzhen trialed its first cross-border family law dispute.

The above-mentioned dispute is a divorce case, with a Hong Kong resident as the plaintiff. Considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the judge, with the consent of both parties, held the hearing at the Internet Tribunal of the Family Court. The hearing was conducted online via an applet called ‘Shenzhen Mobile Mini Court’, enabling the plaintiff in Hong Kong to participate in the proceedings.

The Family Court was established on 6 July 2022 within Longhua Primary People’s Court of Shenzhen. It has jurisdiction over all foreign, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan-related family cases in Shenzhen.

In recent years, the Chinese government has tended to authorize some courts to exercise centralized jurisdiction over a specific type of cases within a particular territory, which goes beyond the tradition of territorial jurisdiction to some extent.

 

 

Photo by Filippo Cesarini on Unsplash

Contributors: CJO Staff Contributors Team

Save as PDF

You might also like

China Enacts Landmark Private Economy Promotion Law

China enacted its landmark first Private Economy Promotion Law, effective May 20, 2025, to guarantee fair competition, streamline market access via a unified negative list, and bolster private enterprises through financing, innovation, and service support.

China Strengthens Criminal IP Protection with New Rules

In April 2025, China’s top court and procuratorate jointly issued a new judicial interpretation to clarify standards for handling criminal intellectual property infringement cases, aiming to strengthen IP protection, particularly in the service sector.

SPC’s 2024 Typical IP Cases Include AI Face-Swap Ruling

In April 2025, China’s Supreme People’s Court released eight typical IP cases, highlighting judicial responses to emerging issues in AI, gaming, and biotech, including a landmark ruling on AI face-swapping copyright infringement.

China Eases Tax Refunds to Boost Inbound Tourist Spending

In 2025, China has lowered its departure tax refund threshold from 500 RMB to 200 RMB and doubled cash refund limits to 20,000 RMB while expanding eligible stores and streamlining processes, aiming to boost inbound tourism spending and promote Chinese products.

Chinese Courts Bolster Pregnant Workers' Rights Protection

In April 2025, China's Ministry of Human Resources and Supreme People's Court released typical labor dispute cases emphasizing stronger protection of pregnant employees' rights, including a case where unlawful job reassignment and salary reduction were ruled illegal.

China Revises Marriage Registration Regulation

China's revised marriage registration rules, effective May 2025, eliminate location restrictions, simplify procedures by removing hukou requirements, and align divorce processes with the Civil Code's cooling-off period.