Supreme People's Court: A total of 1,993 specialized agencies for environmental resources adjudication have been set up nationwide, and 28 high courts have set up environmental resources adjudication tribunals

Beijing, October 28 (Reporter Li Zhaodi) On the morning of the 28th, the Supreme People's Court held a press conference to issue the "Opinions of the Supreme People's Court on Strengthening and Innovating the Adjudication of Environmental Resources in the New Era and Providing Judicial Services and Guarantees for building a modernization in which man and nature coexist in harmony." At the meeting, Yang Linping, vice president of the Supreme People's Court, said that the Supreme People's Court has always continued to deepen judicial reform and innovation, and constantly improved the construction of institutional mechanisms as an important support for promoting the development of environmental resource trial specialization, improving trial quality and efficiency, and enhancing judicial service guarantee capabilities.

Yang Linping introduced that in order to continue to deepen judicial reform and innovation, the people's courts have continuously improved the trial organization system. Up to now, 1993 special agencies for environmental resources adjudication have been set up in people's courts at all levels across the country, and 28 high people's courts have set up environmental resources adjudication tribunals. In January and May 2019, the Supreme People's Court approved the establishment of the Nanjing Environmental Resources Court and the Lanzhou Environmental Resources Court. In August this year, the Supreme People's Court approved the establishment of the Kunming Environmental Resources Tribunal. The establishment of special courts for environmental resources has effectively improved the level of organizational guarantees for specialized trials.

In order to continue to deepen judicial reform and innovation, the people's courts have continuously improved the centralized trial model. Yang Linping introduced that at present, 23 high people's courts across the country have implemented a "three-in-one" trial model of criminal, civil and administrative environmental resources. In January this year, the Supreme People's Court issued the "Types of Environmental Resource Cases and Statistical Norms (Trial)", which effectively guides people's courts at all levels to determine the types of centralized trial cases, and provides institutional support for rationalizing business lines and strengthening business guidance.

Yang Linping also pointed out that courts in various localities have actively explored diversified cross-administrative divisions and centralized jurisdiction, and deeply promoted regional coordination. Under the guidance of the Supreme People's Court, courts in key regions and river basins such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the 11+1 Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the nine provinces and regions of the Yellow River Basin have signed framework agreements on cooperation in the adjudication of environmental resources, and the judicial cooperation mechanism is becoming more and more mature. The coordination and linkage mechanism between the people's courts and relevant external units is more sound, and has played a more important role in improving the assessment and appraisal system, standardizing administrative law enforcement, and improving the quality and efficiency of enforcement. People's courts at all levels have actively established litigation mediation docking platforms with government departments, environmental protection organizations, and lawyers, and effectively link litigation and non-litigation dispute resolution mechanisms.