Judicial relief efforts closely focus on minors and victims in criminal cases

Chinese courts have increased judicial assistance for vulnerable groups involved in litigation in recent years, aiming to protect their legitimate rights and interests and improve people's livelihoods, officials from the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) said.

Wang Zhenyu, head of the Supreme People's Court State Compensation Division, said at a news conference on Friday that courts nationwide assisted more than 128,000 individuals in 90,400 cases between 2023 and 2025, with assistance funds totaling more than 2.56 billion yuan ($369 million).

Wang stressed the importance of judicial assistance for litigants in distress, saying it is a fundamental component of China's socialist judicial system and can significantly ease hardships for those in need.

"Vulnerable groups involved in lawsuits, such as children, the elderly and people with severe disabilities, remain a priority in our assistance work," he said, adding that courts at all levels aided about 107,000 such individuals from 2023 to 2025.

"Compared with other types of cases, victims in criminal matters often suffer more severe harm, face greater difficulties in obtaining compensation, and therefore have more urgent needs for assistance,"Wang said.

To strengthen this work, the SPC has issued multiple notices and held specialized meetings to tackle practical obstacles.

In one criminal case, a father from Sichuan province was killed, leaving behind six minor children, the oldest 12 years old. With the loss of their primary source of income, the family faced severe financial difficulties.

After learning of the situation, a court handling the case in Shandong province determined that the family qualified for judicial assistance and sent judges to travel more than 2,000 kilometers to the village where the family lived.

The judges signed an agreement with the children's mother to manage the judicial assistance funds.

Under the agreement, 20,000 yuan will be allocated annually for the children's living and educational expenses, with the village chief overseeing the use of the money.