China's courts in ethnic minority areas to go digital

The Supreme People's Court (SPC) on Wednesday pushed courts in ethnic minority areas to make better use of well-established technology at a seminar on improving legal services in ethnic minority areas.

Remote video hearings and circuit courts should make it easier for people in remote areas to access the legal system.

Information searches and copies of legal documents should be available online in both Mandarin and in local languages.

The SPC also expects judges in these areas to be bilingual and to have adequate training. The authorities will work to ensure that judges are bilingual and competent.

China has 56 ethnic groups and citizens of all ethnic groups have the constitutional right to use their own ethnic language in litigation. Endi