The Supreme People’s Court (SPC) was established on Oct 22, 1949. Its current office is located at No. 27 Dongjiaomin Xiang, Dongcheng district, Beijing. As the highest adjudicatory organ of the People’s Republic of China, the SPC is committed to upholding the authority and dignity of the Constitution and the law. Guided by the principle of administering justice for the people, the SPC strives to lay a solid foundation for a law-based society and to build a judicial system that is fair, efficient, and authoritative. Since its establishment, the SPC has voiced justice through adjudication and advanced the rule of law through judicial interpretations, while keeping pace with the times and responding to societal needs. It is committed to meeting the expectations of the people and promoting the spirit of the rule of law, serving as a steadfast guardian of the Constitution and the law.

According to the Constitution, the People’s Republic of China establishes the Supreme People’s Court, local people’s courts at various levels, and specialized people’s courts. The SPC is the highest adjudicatory organ of the country. It is responsible for adjudicating all types of cases, issuing judicial interpretations, supervising the adjudicatory work of local people’s courts and specialized people’s courts, and administering the judicial administrative affairs of courts nationwide within its statutory authority.

Pursuant to the Constitution, the Organic Law of the People’s Courts, and other relevant laws, the SPC, as the highest adjudicatory organ of the country, exercises jurisdiction over the following types of cases:

First, first-instance cases placed with the SPC by laws and those the SPC deems within its jurisdiction;

Second, appeals and protests against judgments and decisions rendered by high people’s courts and specialized people’s courts, as well as cases involving applications for retrial and petitions;

Third, protests against court judgments lodged by the Supreme People’s Procuratorate in accordance with adjudication supervision procedures;

Fourth, review and approval of death sentences in cases other than those adjudicated by the SPC;

Fifth, adjudication of state compensation cases in accordance with the law and decisions on state compensation;

Sixth, review and approval of cases in which penalties below the statutory minimum are imposed.

In addition to adjudicating cases, the SPC is also responsible for the unified management and coordination of enforcement work of people’s courts nationwide. At present, courts across the country handle a large number of applications for compulsory enforcement each year. These enforcement cases are mainly handled by local people’s courts. The SPC has established the Enforcement Department to manage, oversee, and coordinate work in this field.