Civil procedure laws in China have recently been amended to provide further scope for public interest litigation. Under the amended law, agencies or organisations "determined by law" can bring proceedings against those whose acts "undermine public welfare by polluting or infringing on consumers’ interests". The amendment was approved after extensive debate and following a third deliberation of the bill by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.
This extension of the type of entities permitted to bring class-action lawsuits will provide more opportunities for groups in China interested in public interest litigation. Previously, only social groups and government agencies were permitted to file class actions. A social group refers to a particular type of organisation and to be classified as one an organisation must go through a strict set of procedures. The new amendment allows “related organisations” to file class-action lawsuits, which covers a larger group of organisations.
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