China's supreme court assists judges on civil, commercial disputes

China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) on Nov 14 published a reference document to help judges handle complicated civil and commercial disputes.

The document, an outcome of a key SPC workshop on trials of civil and commercial cases, covered 130 issues in 12 sections ranging from corporate affairs, commercial contracts, guarantee disputes, financial disputes to bankruptcy, said an SPC press release.

It is the latest move of the SPC to improve the legal environment for business operation in China.

The document dealt with the most difficult and controversial issues and incorporated the latest progress in legislation, administration and academic research, the statement said.

Although not a judicial explanation, the document can provide a reference for judges and enhance the transparency and predictability of these trials, it added.

China advanced to a global ranking of 31 in the World Bank's annual doing business study this year, up from 46 last year. It ranked fifth in "enforcing contracts," an indicator evaluating whether an economy adopts good practices to promote quality and efficiency in its court system.