On Dec 10, the All-China Women’s Federation, together with the Women Workers’ Committee of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the China Women Judges Association, the China Women Procurators Association, and the Women Lawyers Association of the All-China Lawyers Association, launched the sixth list of top 10 typical cases involving legal protection of women’s and children’s rights and interests.

One case submitted by the China Women Judges Association, under the guidance of the Supreme People’s Court, was on the list, demonstrating the active efforts made by courts in safeguarding the rights and interests of women and children.

In the case, the Beijing Internet Court (BIC) ordered a tech company to bear joint liability for online infringement, strengthening judicial safeguards to protect minors from online rumors.

The court clarified that in addition to fulfill their post-event obligations to take action under the “notice-and-takedown” mechanism, online service providers should also take preventive measures against infringement and intervene once they know or should have known of any infringing conduct.

Online platforms should particularly strengthen their scrutiny of illegal content that severely infringes on minors’ rights and interests, such as those involving minors’ personal privacy or sexually explicit rumors, according to the BIC.

The case further emphasized that online service providers should assume primary corporate responsibility rather than merely individual liability, which reflects the judicial authorities’ commitment to strengthening the protection of minors’ rights in cyberspace and is conductive to improving a long-term governance mechanism for a healthier cyberspace. 

Aside from this case, several other cases on the list also reflect from different perspectives the active performance of duties and innovative practices of courts in safeguarding women’s and children’s rights and interests. Courts at all levels fulfilled their duties through criminal, civil and administrative adjudication and extended judicial functions, integrating into the coordinated social protection network and enhancing the effectiveness of safeguarding women’s and children’s rights through the rule of law. 

Launched in 2015, the annual selection of top 10 typical cases on the legal protection of women’s and children’s rights and interests has evolved into an important platform for showcasing the joint efforts of judicial authorities, women’s federations, trade unions and lawyers associations in safeguarding women’s and children’s lawful rights. It highlights China’s practice in respecting and protecting human rights and has received broad social recognition. 

The selected cases that were submitted by courts this year demonstrate their effective performance of adjudicatory functions in safeguarding women’s and children’s rights. Representing high-quality judicial outcomes, these cases offer guidance for future adjudication and valuable reference for judicial practice and social governance in related fields.