The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress


DECISION OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'SCONGRESS ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MARITIME COURTS IN COASTAL PORT CITIES


(Adopted at the Eighth Meeting of the Standing Committee of the
Sixth National People's Congress and promulgated for implementation by
Order No. 20 of the President of the People's Republic of China on
November 14, 1984)

To meet the needs in the development of the country's maritime transport
and in its economic relations and trade with foreign countries,
effectively exercise the country's judicial jurisdiction and handle
maritime affairs and maritime trade cases promptly, so as to safeguard the
lawful rights and interests of both Chinese and foreign litigants, the
following decisions have been made:
1. Maritime courts shall be established in certain coastal port cities
according to need. The establishment of such courts, their alteration and
their abolition shall be decided by the Supreme People's Court.
The establishment of adjudicatory apparatus and administrative offices of
the maritime courts shall be decided by the Supreme People's Court.
2. The maritime courts shall be responsible to the standing committees of
the people's congresses of the municipalities where they are located.
The judicial work of maritime courts shall be subject to supervision by
the higher people's courts in their respective localities.
3. The maritime courts shall have jurisdiction over maritime cases and
maritime trade cases of first instance; they shall not handle criminal
cases or other civil cases. The designation of the jurisdiction area for
each maritime court shall be decided by the Supreme People's Court.
The higher people's court in the locality where a maritime court is
located shall have jurisdiction over appeals against the judgments and
orders of the maritime court.
4. The president of a maritime court shall be appointed or removed by the
standing committee of the people's congress of the city where the court is
located, upon a proposal submitted by the chairman of the standing
committee of the people's congress. The vice- presidents, chief judges
and associate chief judges of divisions, judges and members of the
judicial committee of a maritime court shall be appointed or removed by
the standing committee of the people's congress of the city where the
court is located, upon a proposal submitted by the president of the
maritime court.

Important Notice:
This English document is coming from "LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA GOVERNING FOREIGN-RELATED MATTERS" (1991.7)
which is compiled by the Brueau of Legislative Affairs of the State
Council of the People's Republic of China, and is published by the China
Legal System Publishing House.
In case of discrepancy, the original version in Chinese shall prevail.