News

More than 700 CSOs now able to bring environmental lawsuits

The recent Interpretation of the Supreme People’s Court on Certain Issues Concerning the Application of laws in Environmental Civil Public Interest Cases (最高人民法院关于审理环境民事公益诉讼案件适用法律若干问题的解释), made public on Jan. 6, 2015, stipulates that social organizations, private non-enterprise units, foundations, and other organizations…

Chi Fulin: Return “social organisations” to society

In this article, Chi Fulin, head of the China Institute for Reform and Development (CIRD), writes that the development of social organizations has aroused independent society and widespread participation but there is still the need to construct an appropriate system.…

What new Chinese NGO employees should know

This article summarizes some of the main obstacles people can encounter when entering the public welfare sector in China for the first time. As the author explains, because Chinese civil society organizations are not as developed as in other countries,…

Eliminating certain NGOs’ privileges

This article deals with government departments establishing NGOs. For the author, this creates problems in terms of NGOs using government influence to hold on to money, reform bonuses and increases the burden on both grass-roots and enterprises.

Lawyers and judges should avoid creating situations where both sides lose

During a case involving multiple offences in Huizhou, Guangdong, the defendants' lawyers left the room without giving any explanation. This action comes at a moment when the Supreme People's Procuratorate has published "Provisions on protecting lawyers' professional rights according to the law".

Public interest lawsuits: spring for environmental protection

The Supreme People's Court published an «Interpretation of issues related to the laws applicable to an environmental civil litigation case hearing» (hereafter: «Interpretation»). The Interpretation allows more public interest organizations to participate in environmental civil litigations.

Rural woman files first lawsuit on forced sterilization in China

Two years ago Xia Runying, a female farmer in Jiangxi province, was forcibly sterilized by the local family planning committee. She filed a lawsuit against the committee, asserting that the surgery was illegal and seeking compensation; the first such case in China.

Two NGOs initiate first environment public interest lawsuit

On January 1st 2015, two NGOs received a notice from the Nanping city intermediate people's court stating it had accepted to file their lawsuit. This is the first occurence of a public interest lawsuit being filed since the new "Environment Protection Law" has been enforced.

CASS: A growing share of CSO funding comes from Chinese sources

A report published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) shows that a growing share of Chinese social organizations' funding is coming from Chinese sources and that Chinese foundations have replaced foreign foundations as the first funding supplier for the sector.