Individuals who resort to violence to evade court orders may now face up to seven years of imprisonment and financial penalties, as outlined in a recently issued judicial interpretation that delineates "extremely serious" cases warranting such severe consequences.
The legal document, a collaborative effort released last month by the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, China's highest judicial bodies, classifies violent interference with court-mandated rulings, such as assaults, detentions, or beatings, as "extremely serious" offenses.
Under Chinese Criminal Law, individuals who are capable of fulfilling court rulings, including civil case compensations, but deliberately refuse to do so are considered criminals. In serious cases, they may face up to three years of imprisonment, criminal detention, or fines. For "extremely serious" cases, the sentence may be extended to between three to seven years, in addition to fines.
The judicial authorities have stated that this new document serves as a clarification of the law, providing more explicit and detailed provisions to assist judges in more efficiently adjudicating cases involving noncompliance with court orders.
"The legal interpretation aims to better protect the legitimate rights and interests of those who prevail in lawsuits, thereby maintaining justice and ensuring the credibility of the judiciary," the authorities explained.
They highlighted that refusal to execute court rulings that lead to severe consequences for the plaintiffs, such as suicide, self-harm, or other grave outcomes, would also be classified as "extremely serious" under the new interpretation, which came into effect on Sunday.
Furthermore, the interpretation specifies that individuals who conceal or transfer assets to avoid court orders could be prosecuted for the crime of defying court rulings and may incur criminal liability in serious situations.
In recent years, China has intensified its efforts to enforce compliance with court rulings, thereby upholding judicial authority. In April, for example, a defendant from Yongcheng, Henan province, was sentenced to three years in prison for his nonadherence to court orders and for obstructing judicial proceedings.
Details revealed by the Yongcheng court in June indicated that the defendant, Mr. Gao, had borrowed money from Mr. Wei to purchase a vehicle and failed to repay the loan, prompting a lawsuit from Wei. The court ruled in favor of Wei in August of the previous year, ordering Gao to repay a loan of over 130,000 yuan ($17,970), which Gao refused to do.
The court's investigation revealed that Gao's bank accounts had transactions totaling over 980,000 yuan from August to December of the previous year, indicating that he had the means to repay the debt but chose not to.
When court officials attempted to enforce the repayment, Gao attempted to flee in his vehicle, driving hundreds of meters with a judicial officer on the hood, as stated by the court.
"Gao had the savings to settle his debts but adamantly refused to comply with the court's ruling and even resorted to violence to interfere with judicial proceedings. His actions were a blatant challenge to judicial authority," the court declared.
"Consequently, we imposed a criminal penalty on him to preserve judicial order and the sanctity of justice," it added.
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