BEING selected as a pilot unit for the promotion of electronic archives by the Supreme People’s Court of China this February, Bao’an District People’s Court has also taken the opportunity to promote paperless case handling, the Bao’an Daily reported.

The court has made several services paperless, including case filing, mediation before litigation and litigation preservation for five types of cases, over the last three months.

A total of 8,878 cases have been handled without paper, according to the report.

The court piloted online case filing in December 2017. This February, the idea was officially put into practice for civil and economic cases, which not only reduced the time and economic cost for the parties involved in the cases but also increased efficiency.

“In the past, if you wanted to file a case, you had to go to the designated place early in the morning to line up for an opportunity,” said Peng Fang, a lawyer from the Guangdong Yingzun Law Firm.

At present, people can apply directly through the Guangdong litigation service website after successfully registering. Relevant materials can then be uploaded online. The website also supports payments for service fees.

Judges handling a quick judgment for civil cases no longer need to deal with a pile of papers in the court session. Also, an electronic signature is available for cases eligible for quick judgment, said the report.

(Wang Jingli)