Zhang Jun, president of the Supreme People's Court of China, called for deep integration of modern digital technology with court work to create a new landscape of adjudication modernization. Zhang made the remarks while addressing the second ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Meeting of the Council of ASEAN Chief Justices via video link on Nov 19. The meeting was hosted by the Supreme Court of the Philippines in Cebu.

Zhang Jun, president of the Supreme People's Court of China, addresses the second ASEAN Plus Three Meeting of the Council of ASEAN Chief Justices via video link on Nov 19. The meeting was hosted by the Supreme Court of the Philippines in Cebu. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Zhang highlighted the importance of judicial cooperation in relations between China and ASEAN countries, saying that the APT meeting mechanism provides a crucial platform for ASEAN countries and China, Japan and the Republic of Korea to share judicial experiences and strengthen judicial cooperation, injecting new momentum into regional collaboration.

He said that the world has entered a digital era, which presents unprecedented opportunities and challenges for judicial work.

Zhang provided a briefing on the measures taken by Chinese courts to enhance the quality and efficiency of judicial adjudication through application of digital technology. 

Chinese courts are striving to support and serve the nation's modernization drive through the modernization of adjudication work by various means, including the comprehensive advancement of smart court development, the use of artificial intelligence in case handling, and the application of information technology to facilitate law enforcement, thereby enhancing judicial adjudication with digital empowerment, he said.

Efforts have been made to build a mediation platform, promote online services of the people's courts, and provide multiple service channels for the convenience of the people, he said. 

Big data analysis is being actively used to strengthen adjudication management, with continuous efforts to comprehensively upgrade information-based development of courts, he added. 

Zhang expressed China's willingness to work with courts of ASEAN countries as well as those of Japan and the Republic of Korea, under the principles of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation and by leveraging the APT mechanism, to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning, deepen practical cooperation, and explore the potential of modern technology in judicial applications. 

This collaboration seeks to provide digital and intelligent solutions for optimizing case adjudication and judicial management, promote the deep integration of modern technology with court work, and create a new landscape of digitally empowered judicial modernization, contributing to the progress of law-based civilization, he said.

Chinese venue of the second ASEAN Plus Three Meeting of the Council of ASEAN Chief Justices. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Wang Shumei, standing member of the SPC's adjudication committee (vice-minister level), also attended the meeting.