China Justice Observer

中司观察

EnglishArabicChinese (Simplified)DutchFrenchGermanHindiItalianJapaneseKoreanPortugueseRussianSpanishSwedishHebrewIndonesianVietnameseThaiTurkishMalay

SPC Releases Guiding Cases on Environmental Public Interest Litigation

Mon, 13 Feb 2023
Categories: China Legal Trends

On 11 Jan. 2023, China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) held a press conference to release a total of ten guiding cases on environmental public interest litigation.

Since the amendment of the PRC Civil Procedure Law in 2012, China has established a system of environmental public interest litigation in legislation. Accordingly, the organs and relevant organizations provided by law, mainly procuratorates and social organizations engaged in environmental protection, may file a lawsuit with a court against acts that harm the public interest, such as polluting the environment and infringing upon the legitimate rights and interests of numerous consumers.

According to the SPC in the press conference, from 2013 to the end of 2022, Chinese courts concluded more than 16 thousand environmental public interest litigation, ecological-environmental damage compensation lawsuits, and judicial confirmation cases.

The released ten guiding cases are related to environmental pollution, ecological damage, and other acts of environmental destruction, including smuggling foreign garbage, destroying natural relics, stealing vessel sewage, illegal mining, and destroying public forests.

 

 

Cover Photo by ce xu on Unsplash

Contributors: CJO Staff Contributors Team

Save as PDF

You might also like

IOMed Settles First Case, Resolving China-Singapore Maritime Dispute

The newly established International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) has successfully resolved its inaugural case—a maritime charter dispute between Chinese and Singaporean parties—marking a major milestone for the world’s first government-backed global mediation body.

China Overhauls Arbitration Law for Global Alignment

Having entered into force on March 1, 2026, China’s first comprehensive revision of its 1995 Arbitration Law has introduced ad hoc arbitration, strengthened interim relief, and aligned the legal framework more closely with international standards.

Chinese Judgments Go Global: Emerging Systemic Challenges and Confidence Deficit

This post analyzes the historic rise in cross-border judgment enforcement involving China, specifically focusing on the persistent challenges hindering the recognition of Chinese judgments abroad. It identifies two primary obstacles—emerging legal hurdles regarding systemic due process and a "confidence deficit" among Chinese creditors—and argues that addressing these is essential to sustaining the framework of mutual recognition.