A World without Lawsuits Is a Lost Dream

• Author: Ifeng

In recent years, the term “no suits” has frequently appeared in Fujian to the extent that it has become an agenda for the court. Why would the High People’s Court of Fujian do its utmost to advocate the ideology of “no suits?”

“No suits” embodies the “peace” ideology in Chinese culture. For more than two years, the Supreme People’s Court of China has been issuing documents requiring mediation work to be done throughout the entire court. Fujian’s policy undoubtedly made a further step under this context. Where there are rights there must follow a struggle for those rights, which brings about lawsuits and legal procedures. This fundamental concept of the modern legal system severely conflicts with ancient ideology of “no suits.”

Mediation is essentially a compromise rather than a judgment based on right and wrong. It exchanges justice for harmony. The Law of Civil Procedure mandates that judges mediate under clear factual evidence. Often times, for the sake of maintaining stability,judges blur the line between facts, rights, and obligations in the...