The country's first maritime circuit court was inaugurated in Yantai, Shandong

China News Service, Yantai, October 19 (Wang Jiaoni and Lu Yuxuan) Reporters learned from the Yantai Coast Guard Bureau in Shandong Province on the 19th that the Maritime Circuit Court jointly established by the Bureau and the Yantai Intermediate People's Court was recently inaugurated and put into operation in Yantai, and the Joint Maritime Conflict and Dispute Resolution Center was simultaneously launched. The court is the country's first itinerant trial carrier located on a Coast Guard law enforcement vessel.

The picture shows the unveiling ceremony of the Marine Circuit Trial Court. Photo by Yan Zelin

In recent years, with the development of marine fisheries, shipping, cultural tourism and new energy industries, the types of maritime-related disputes have increased. Maritime cases have long faced practical problems such as difficulty in obtaining evidence, difficulty in delivering documents, and delays in resolving conflicts. To this end, after research and consultation, the two units moved the trial venue directly to the front line of maritime law enforcement to open up the "last mile" of maritime judicial services.

According to reports, the Maritime Circuit Trial Court relies on Coast Guard ships to carry out regular tours, and can complete court sessions, investigation and evidence collection, mediation and legal education on-site at sea; the joint maritime conflict and dispute resolution center established simultaneously integrates the mediation forces of judges, Coast Guard law enforcement officers and maritime-related industries to form a "Coast Police front-end processing + court judicial empowerment" model, focusing on mediating disputes such as fishing vessel operation damage, offshore aquaculture infringement, crew labor, and marine ecological infringement, and promoting pre-litigation resolution of conflicts.

In the future, the two parties will improve the two-way transfer of clues and negotiation mechanisms for major cases, and conduct regular maritime roving court sessions and on-site mediation. (over)