China steps up online litigation services amid coronavirus epidemic

A woman wearing a protective face mask sits outside a retail and wholesale clothing mall which remain closed following the new coronavirus outbreak in Beijing on Monday. Asian shares started the week with fresh losses as countries reported surging numbers of infections from the coronavirus that has prompted shutdowns of travel and business in many parts of the world. - AP

BEIJING: Chinese courts have been urged to make full use of information technology in litigation work since the outbreak of the Covid-10 (coronavirus) outbreak, according to the Supreme People's Court (SPC).

From Feb 3 to March 20, courts at various levels filed nearly 550,000 cases online across the country, made over 440,000 payments online, held over 110,000 court sessions online, and conducted online mediation for more than 200,000 times, according to data from the SPC.