Supreme court begins draft interpretation on property law

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-07-05 15:49

BEIJING -- China's supreme court has started drafting a judicial interpretation on the property law to ensure that courts around the country fully understand its articles.

Officials with the supreme court said the judicial interpretation would be delivered "at an appropriate time," but no timetable has been set.

"The two civil courts under the supreme court have started the draft, but it is still too early to talk about the details," Zhao Peng, an official with the press office of the supreme court, told Xinhua.

The landmark property law was adopted on March 16 after taking 13 years to wind its way through the legislative process.

The law, which will come into effect on October 1, states: "The property of the state, the collective, the individual is protected by law, and no unit or individuals may infringe upon it."

Legal experts said the property law was a significant step in the country's efforts to further economic reforms and boost social harmony, but as some articles were vague, courts would have difficulty applying it.

Zhao said the supreme court had ordered courts across China to hold training sessions on the property law. Courts were required to submit experiences of handling property cases to the supreme court for reference.

"Opinions and suggestions from local courts and legal experts will be taken into consideration," he said.

Sun Xianzhong, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said China had already seen an increase in the number of cases involving property disputes.

"There is no doubt that the number of such cases will rise greatly," he said.

"A judicial interpretation is really needed to help courts better handle the cases," Sun said.



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