Recently, Haikou Maritime Court pronounced a judgment in court by applying summary procedure to try a case of dispute over a free-trade-port key construction project. After consulting the parties, the Court initiated the internet court to hear the case online, which was a successful practice of providing judicial services for the building of a “law-based, international and enabling” business environment for the free trade port.

Keen sense of judicial responsibility to resolve a key construction project dispute

The plaintiff initiated a lawsuit before Haikou Maritime Court for the dispute over the payment for a construction project of Sanya Phoenix Island International Cruise Port, demanding the defendant to pay the balance of nearly 300 million yuan and priority of compensation from the project. As the project was one of the key construction projects for the Hainan Free Trade Port and was of great importance in guiding and promoting the building of a good and law-based business environment, as well as the investment attraction and confidence, the Party leadership group of the Court took the case seriously and made arrangements actively following the Opinions on the Provision of Maritime Judicial Guarantee to Boost the Development of Hainan Free Trade Area (Port). Judge Zhong Aiping, a member of the judicial committee for a series of related cases, felt the responsibility and undertook the case. She kicked off the procedures very soon.

Efficient procedure to resolve the large claim dispute

Generally, a large claim case will be tried by general procedure. However, given the clear rights and obligations between the plaintiff and the defendant with only minor dispute, the handling judge, after consulting the parties and obtaining their consent, resolved to apply summary procedure to hear the case. The choice made speedy trial possible and saved quite a lot of litigation costs and was hence highly praised by the parties.

Online court hearing to enable seamless litigation-mediation transition

Since the defendant’s agent ad litem was located in other place, the parties agreed that internet court was formed to hear the case online. By relying on the technological merits of the internet court that enabled online mediation and online hearing alike, as well as the flexible and convenient operation of summary procedure, the handling judge managed to schedule mediation at an earlier time through the online mediation platform of people’s courts. When the parties could not settle the dispute through mediation, the judge kicked off the online hearing without delay. The mediation became a speedy trial instantly.

Pronouncement of judgment in court to help build the business environment

Thanks to the well-planned actions before the trial and based on the statements of the parties, the judge pronounced a judgment in court to uphold the litigation request of the plaintiff according to law. It took only 27 days from the filing to the close of the case, and the mediation and court session took only one hour. The trial of the case was one of the many endeavors of the Court to conduct maritime trial to serve the overall situation of the economic and social development, and to serve the construction of an excellent business environment with high-quality and efficient judicial services. Haikou Maritime Court will continue to break new ground and provide better and high-standard maritime judicial services for the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port.