No issue is too trivial for our officials' attention
Xu Yuxiang, 28, judge's assistant at Beijing No 4 Intermediate People's Court. [Photo provided to China Daily] |
My major task every day is to offer legal services to litigants who come to our court, including filing cases and collecting related material. Sometimes, I help the judges mediate in disputes.
I feel a great sense of achievement when providing this assistance, even though some people think such tasks are not as important as case hearings or even regard them as trivial.
Last year, a litigant, a man in his 60s, impressed me a lot. He was agitated when he arrived at our court in Fengtai district. When I learned he had traveled from the city's outskirts, about 80 kilometers, to initiate a lawsuit that he hoped would prevent his house being demolished, I brought him a bottle of water and started a simple conversation to help him relax.
He looked so anxious when he told me that the large amount of money he had spent on hiring two lawyers had not led to a resolution of the dispute. I could feel his helplessness.
I discovered that his document was lacking crucial aspects of the case, so I helped him revise it and told him about materials he should prepare for the ensuing legal process.
I also demonstrated our online legal services. I showed him that materials or evidence could be submitted via his smartphone and that judges could also be contacted in this way at appropriate times.
I suggested that his children could help him use the online services if he had any difficulties. He agreed, knowing that it would save him a lot of time and reduce his travel costs.
Sometimes, I work with judges to mediate in simple cases before trial. Timely mediation is often the best way to minimize losses-in terms of money and time-for people or companies involved in disputes.
However, if someone persists with litigation, I'll respect his or her choice and help them file a case.
I graduated from China University of Political Science and Law, and began my court career in 2017. Initially, I traveled across the country dealing with cases related to ruling enforcement.
Early last year, I was transferred to the case-filing division, so I make fewer business trips.
However, I have never thought that providing services is a trivial matter. Instead, I often compare it to a court's name card that can help people better understand judicial affairs.
The better we serve litigants, the more effectively we can uphold justice and improve judicial credibility.