Laws of the People's Republic of China

Whole Document 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 theSixth National People's Congress and promulgated for implementation byOrder No. 20 of the President of the People's Republic of China onNovember 14, 1984)To meet the needs in the development of the country's maritime transportand in its economic relations and trade with foreign countries, effectively exercise the country's judicial jurisdiction and handlemaritime affairs and maritime trade cases promptly, so as to safeguard thelawful rights and interests of both Chinese and foreign litigants, thefollowing decisions have been made:1. Maritime courts shall be established in certain coastal port citiesaccording to need. The establishment of such courts, their alteration andtheir abolition shall be decided by the Supreme People's Court.The establishment of adjudicatory apparatus and administrative offices ofthe maritime courts shall be decided by the Supreme People's Court.2. The maritime courts shall be responsible to the standing committees ofthe people's congresses of the municipalities where they are located.The judicial work of maritime courts shall be subject to supervision bythe higher people's courts in their respective localities.3. The maritime courts shall have jurisdiction over maritime cases andmaritime trade cases of first instance; they shall not handle criminalcases or other civil cases. The designation of the jurisdiction area foreach maritime court shall be decided by the Supreme People's Court.The higher people's court in the locality where a maritime court islocated shall have jurisdiction over appeals against the judgments andorders of the maritime court.4. The president of a maritime court shall be appointed or removed by thestanding committee of the people's congress of the city where the court islocated, upon a proposal submitted by the chairman of the standingcommittee of the people's congress. The vice- presidents, chief judgesand associate chief judges of divisions, judges and members of thejudicial committee of a maritime court shall be appointed or removed bythe standing committee of the people's congress of the city where thecourt is located, upon a proposal submitted by the president of themaritime court.