City courts accept cases related to virus

Local courts had accepted 116 cases related to the coronavirus pandemic by the end of March, including 28 criminal cases, with prosecutors charging 30 people, according to data disclosed at the daily government briefing on Friday.

Zhang Bin, vice president of the Shanghai High People's Court, said the court had handled 15 of the 28 criminal cases which involved fraud, disrupting public services, provoking trouble, illegal business, disrupting epidemic prevention and treatment and illegal hunting, purchasing, transporting and selling endangered wild animals.

The 88 civil disputes are mainly related to contracts on house renting, sales and services. For those failing to fulfill contracts because of the pandemic, the courts are encouraging both sides to receive mediation and discussion. With the courts' efforts, 75 percent of the cases have been withdrawn.

Tao Jianping, deputy chief procurator of the Shanghai People’s Procuratorate, said local prosecutors had accepted 33 criminal cases involving 37 people and had filed charges against 30 people in 28 cases.

One crime subject to a tough crackdown was the disruption of enterprises' resumption of business and production. Prosecutors have set up a mechanism for early intervention and quick charges with police.

Liu Ping, a top inspector with the city's justice bureau, said the justice offices had mediated in 3,887 disputes related to the coronavirus epidemic between January 24 and April 1. Ninety-one were to do with enterprises' returning to work, covering disputes on rights infringement, production and operation, labor, contracts and consumer complaints.