Allen
- Mar 5, 2021
- 12 min read

New Rule of China Supreme Court: Online Filing for Cross-border Litigants

最高人民法院

Supreme People's Court

关于为跨境诉讼当事人提供网上立案服务的若干规定

Several Provisions on Providing Online Filing Services for Cross-border Litigants

为让中外当事人享受到同等便捷高效的立案服务，根据《中华人民共和国民事诉讼法》《最高人民法院关于人民法院登记立案若干问题的规定》等法律和司法解释，结合人民法院工作实际，制定本规定。

In order to provide Chinese and foreign parties concerned with equal, convenient and efficient case filing services, these Provisions are formulated in accordance with the Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China, the Provisions of the Supreme People's Court on Several Issues concerning the Registration and Case Filing by People's Courts and other laws and judicial interpretations and in light of the actual work of people's courts.

第一条人民法院为跨境诉讼当事人提供网上立案指引、查询、委托代理视频见证、登记立案服务。

Article 1 People's Courts shall provide cross-border litigants with online filing guidance, inquiry, video witness by entrustment, and case filing registration services.

本规定所称跨境诉讼当事人，包括外国人、香港特别行政区、澳门特别行政区（以下简称港澳特区）和台湾地区居民、经常居所地位于国外或者港澳台地区的我国内地公民以及在国外或者港澳台地区登记注册的企业和组织。

For the purpose of these Provisions, the litigants of cross-border litigants include foreigners, residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region (hereinafter referred to as the "Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Region") and Taiwan, Chinese Mainland citizens with habitual residence in foreign countries or in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and enterprises and organizations registered in foreign countries or in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

第二条为跨境诉讼当事人提供网上立案服务的案件范围包括第一审民事、商事起诉。

Article 2 The scope of cases for which online filing services are provided for the litigants of cross-border litigants includes civil and commercial lawsuits of first instance.

第三条人民法院通过中国移动微法院为跨境诉讼当事人提供网上立案服务。

Article 3 People's Courts shall provide cross-border litigants with online filing services through China Mobile Micro Court.

第四条跨境诉讼当事人首次申请网上立案的，应当由受诉法院先行开展身份验证。身份验证主要依托国家移民管理局出入境证件身份认证平台等进行线上验证；无法线上验证的，由受诉法院在线对当事人身份证件以及公证、认证、转递、寄送核验等身份证明材料进行人工验证。

Article 4 Where a litigant of a cross-border lawsuit applies for filing a case online for the first time, the court which has admitted the lawsuit shall conduct identity verification first. Online identity verification mainly relies on the exit/entry document identity verification platform of the State Immigration Administration, etc.; where online verification is impossible, the court which has admitted the lawsuit shall conduct manual verification of the identity documents and identity documents of the litigants such as notarisation, authentication, forwarding and sending for verification, etc.

身份验证结果应当在3个工作日内在线告知跨境诉讼当事人。

The results of identity verification shall be notified online within three working days to the litigants of the cross-border lawsuit.

第五条跨境诉讼当事人进行身份验证应当向受诉法院在线提交以下材料：

Article 5 To conduct identity verification, a litigant of a cross-border lawsuit shall submit the following materials to the court which has admitted the lawsuit:

（一）外国人应当提交护照等用以证明自己身份的证件；企业和组织应当提交身份证明文件和代表该企业和组织参加诉讼的人有权作为代表人参加诉讼的证明文件，证明文件应当经所在国公证机关公证，并经我国驻该国使领馆认证。外国人、外国企业和组织所在国与我国没有建立外交关系的，可以经过该国公证机关公证，经与我国有外交关系的第三国驻该国使领馆认证，再转由我国驻第三国使领馆认证。如我国与外国人、外国企业和组织所在国订立、缔结或者参加的国际条约、公约中对证明手续有具体规定，从其规定，但我国声明保留的条款除外；

(1) A foreigner shall submit a passport and other documents to prove his/her identity; an enterprise or an organisation shall submit its identity document and proof that the person participating in the lawsuit on behalf of such enterprise or organisation has the right to participate in the lawsuit as its representative; such proof document shall be notarised by a notary organisation in the country where the foreigner is located, and authenticated by the Chinese embassy or consulate in the country. Where the home country of a foreigner, a foreign enterprise or organisation does not have diplomatic relations with China, such documents may be notarised by a notary organisation in the said country, and authenticated by the embassy or consulate in the said country of a third country which has diplomatic relations with China, and then authenticated by the embassy or consulate of China in the said third country. Where there are specific provisions on certification formalities in the international treaty or convention concluded, concluded or participated in by China and the home country of the foreign enterprise or organisation, such provisions shall prevail, except for the clauses for which China has declared reservation;

（二）港澳特区居民应当提交港澳特区身份证件或者港澳居民居住证、港澳居民来往内地通行证等用以证明自己身份的证件；企业和组织应当提交身份证明文件和代表该企业和组织参加诉讼的人有权作为代表人参加诉讼的证明文件，证明文件应当经过内地认可的公证人公证，并经中国法律服务（香港）有限公司或者中国法律服务（澳门）有限公司加章转递；

(II) A Hong Kong or Macau resident shall submit his/her identity document or the Hong Kong or Macau resident residence permit, the Mainland travel permit for Hong Kong or Macau resident and other documents to prove his/her identity; an enterprise or organisation shall submit its identity document and proof that the person participating in the lawsuit on behalf of such enterprise or organisation has the right to participate in the lawsuit as its representative; such proof document shall be notarised by a notary recognised by the Mainland, and forwarded by the China Legal Service (Hong Kong) Company Limited or the China Legal Service (Macau) Company Limited by affixed with the seal;

（三）台湾地区居民应当提交台湾地区身份证件或者台湾居民居住证、台湾居民来往大陆通行证等用以证明自己身份的证件；企业和组织应当提交身份证明文件和代表该企业和组织参加诉讼的人有权作为代表人参加诉讼的证明。证明文件应当通过两岸公证书使用查证渠道办理；

(III) A Taiwan resident shall submit his/her identity document or Taiwan resident residence permit, Mainland travel permit for Taiwan resident and other documents to prove his/her identity; an enterprise or organisation shall submit its identity document and proof that the person participating in the lawsuit on behalf of such enterprise or organisation has the right to participate in the lawsuit as its representative;The proof document shall be handled through the channel for cross-strait notarial certificate inspection;

（四）经常居所地位于国外或者港澳台地区的我国内地公民应当提交我国公安机关制发的居民身份证、户口簿或者普通护照等用以证明自己身份的证件，并提供工作签证、常居证等证明其在国外或者港澳台地区合法连续居住超过一年的证明材料。

(IV) A Chinese Mainland citizen whose habitual residence is located overseas or in Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan shall submit his/her identity document, census register or ordinary passport issued by the public security authorities of China to prove his/her identity as well as proof materials such as work visa or permanent residence permit to prove that he/she has resided overseas or in Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan continuously for more than one year.

第六条通过身份验证的跨境诉讼当事人委托我国内地律师代理诉讼，可以向受诉法院申请线上视频见证。

Article 6 Where a party to a cross-border lawsuit who has passed identity authentication entrusts a Chinese Mainland lawyer to participate in the lawsuit, he/she may apply to the court which has accepted the lawsuit for online video witness.

线上视频见证由法官在线发起，法官、跨境诉讼当事人和受委托律师三方同时视频在线。跨境诉讼当事人应当使用中华人民共和国通用语言或者配备翻译人员，法官应当确认受委托律师和其所在律师事务所以及委托行为是否确为跨境诉讼当事人真实意思表示。在法官视频见证下，跨境诉讼当事人、受委托律师签署有关委托代理文件，无需再办理公证、认证、转递等手续。线上视频见证后，受委托律师可以代为开展网上立案、网上交费等事项。

Online video witness shall be initiated by the judge online, and the judge, the parties to a cross-border lawsuit and the entrusted lawyer shall be online at the same time. The parties to a cross-border lawsuit shall use the common language of the People's Republic of China or be staffed with interpreters. The judge shall confirm whether the entrusted lawyer and the law firm he/she works for as well as whether the entrustment is the expression of the true intention of the party to the cross-border lawsuit. As witnessed by the judge video witness, the parties to a cross-border lawsuit and the entrusted lawyer shall sign the relevant documents on entrustment of agent, and there is no need to go through the formalities of notarization, authentication, forwarding, etc. After online video witness, the entrusted lawyer may carry out matters such as case filing and online payment on behalf of the client.

线上视频见证的过程将由系统自动保存。

Online video witness shall be automatically saved by the system.

第七条跨境诉讼当事人申请网上立案应当在线提交以下材料：

Article 7 Where a party to a cross-border lawsuit applies for online case filing, he/she shall submit the following materials online:

（一）起诉状；

(1) the complaint;

（二）当事人的身份证明及相应的公证、认证、转递、寄送核验等材料；

(II) the identity document of the party concerned and the relevant notarization, authentication, forwarding, or mailing for verification;

（三）证据材料。

(III) evidentiary materials.

上述材料应当使用中华人民共和国通用文字或者有相应资质翻译公司翻译的译本。

The aforesaid materials shall be written in the common language of the People's Republic of China or the translation translated by a qualified translation company.

第八条跨境诉讼当事人委托代理人进行诉讼的授权委托材料包括：

Article 8 Where a party to a cross-border lawsuit entrusts an agent to carry out the lawsuit, the materials of the client shall include:

（一）外国人、外国企业和组织的代表人在我国境外签署授权委托书，应当经所在国公证机关公证，并经我国驻该国使领馆认证；所在国与我国没有建立外交关系的，可以经过该国公证机关公证，经与我国有外交关系的第三国驻该国使领馆认证，再转由我国驻第三国使领馆认证；在我国境内签署授权委托书，应当在法官见证下签署或者经内地公证机构公证；如我国与外国人、外国企业和组织所在国订立、缔结或者参加的国际条约、公约中对证明手续有具体规定，从其规定，但我国声明保留的条款除外；

(1) The power of attorney signed by a foreigner, or the representative of a foreign enterprise or organization outside China shall be notarized by a notary office in the country where the foreign person, or the representative of a foreign enterprise or organization is located, and authenticated by the Chinese embassy or consulate in the country where the foreign person, or the power of attorney shall be notarized by a notary office in the country, authenticated by the embassy or consulate in the country of a third country that has diplomatic relations with China, and then authenticated by the Chinese embassy or consulate in the third country; the power of attorney signed within the territory of China shall be signed under the witness of a judge or notarized by a notary office in the mainland; if there are specific provisions on the certification procedures in the international treaties or conventions concluded, concluded or acceded to by China and the countries of the foreign person, or the foreign enterprise or organization, such provisions shall prevail, except for the clauses on which China has stated reservations;

（二）港澳特区居民、港澳特区企业和组织的代表人在我国内地以外签署授权委托书，应当经过内地认可的公证人公证，并经中国法律服务（香港）有限公司或者中国法律服务（澳门）有限公司加章转递；在我国内地签署授权委托书，应当在法官见证下签署或者经内地公证机构公证；

(II) The power of attorney signed outside China by a representative of a Hong Kong or Macao Special Administrative Region resident, or the representative of an enterprise or organization in the Hong Kong or Macao Special Administrative Region shall be notarized by a notary recognized in the mainland, and forwarded by China Legal Service (Hong Kong) Limited or China Legal Service (Macao) Limited with a seal; the power of attorney signed outside China shall be signed under the witness of a judge or notarized by a notary office in the mainland;

（三）台湾地区居民在我国大陆以外签署授权委托书，应当通过两岸公证书使用查证渠道办理；在我国大陆签署授权委托书，应当在法官见证下签署或者经大陆公证机构公证；

(III) The power of attorney signed outside Mainland China by a resident of Taiwan region shall be handled through the channels for verification of notarial certificates used by the Mainland and Taiwan; the power of attorney signed in the mainland China shall be signed under the witness of a judge or notarized by a notary office in the mainland;

（四）经常居所地位于国外的我国内地公民从国外寄交或者托交授权委托书，必须经我国驻该国的使领馆证明；没有使领馆的，由与我国有外交关系的第三国驻该国的使领馆证明，再转由我国驻该第三国使领馆证明，或者由当地爱国华侨团体证明。

(IV) The power of attorney mailed or forwarded from abroad by a Chinese inland citizen with habitual residence shall be certified by the Chinese embassy or consulate stationed in that country; if there is no embassy or consulate stationed in that country, the power of attorney shall be certified by the embassy or consulate of a third country stationed in that country that has diplomatic relations with China, and then transferred to the embassy or consulate of China stationed in that third country for certification, or be certified by a local patriotic overseas Chinese organization.

第九条受诉法院收到网上立案申请后，应当作出以下处理：

Article 9 After receiving an application for filing a case online, the court that has admitted the case shall handle the case as follows:

（一）符合法律规定的，及时登记立案；

1. timely register and place a case on file in case of compliance with the legal provisions;

（二）提交诉状和材料不符合要求的，应当一次性告知当事人在15日内补正。当事人难以在15日内补正材料，可以向受诉法院申请延长补正期限至30日。当事人未在指定期限内按照要求补正，又未申请延长补正期限的，立案材料作退回处理；

(II) If the complaint and materials submitted do not meet the requirements, the party concerned shall be notified once and for all to supplement or correct them within 15 days. If it is difficult for the party concerned to supplement or correct the materials within 15 days, the party may apply to the court that has admitted the case for an extension of time to 30 days. If the party concerned neither supplement or correct them within the prescribed time limit nor applies for an extension of the time limit, the case filing materials shall be returned;

（三）不符合法律规定的，可在线退回材料并释明具体理由；

(III) If the materials do not meet the requirements of the law, the party concerned may return the materials online and state the specific reasons therefor; and

（四）无法即时判定是否符合法律规定的，应当在7个工作日内决定是否立案。

(IV) If it is impossible to determine whether the case complies with the requirements of the law, the court shall make a decision on whether or not to file the case within seven working days.

跨境诉讼当事人可以在线查询处理进展以及立案结果。

The party concerned to a cross-border case may inquire about the handling progress and the results of the case filing online.

第十条跨境诉讼当事人提交的立案材料中包含以下内容的，受诉法院不予登记立案：

Article 10 The court that has admitted the case filing materials submitted by the party concerned to a cross-border case shall not register and file the case if:

（一）危害国家主权、领土完整和安全；

(1) Endanger the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of the state;

（二）破坏国家统一、民族团结和宗教政策；

(II) Undermine the unity of the state and the unity of the nationalities and the religious policies;

（三）违反法律法规，泄露国家秘密，损害国家利益；

(III) Violate the laws and regulations, disclose the state secrets and damage the interests of the state;

（四）侮辱诽谤他人，进行人身攻击、谩骂、诋毁，经法院告知仍拒不修改；

(IV) Insult or slander others, attack, slander personal names, or slander others, and refuse to make corrections after being informed by the court;

（五）所诉事项不属于人民法院管辖范围；

(V) The matter sued is not within the jurisdiction of the people's court;

（六）其他不符合法律规定的起诉。

(VI) Other lawsuits that do not meet the requirements of the law.