Administrative Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China (1989)

Article 1

Pursuant to the Constitution, this Law is enacted for the purpose of ensuring the correct and prompt handling of administrative cases by the people's courts, protecting the lawful rights and interests of citizens, legal persons and other organizations, and safeguarding and supervising the exercise of administrative powers by administrative organs in accordance with the law.

Article 2

If a citizen, a legal person or any other organization considers that his or its lawful rights and interests have been infringed upon by a specific administrative act of an administrative organ or its personnel, he or it shall have the right to bring a suit before a people's court in accordance with this Law.

Article 3

The people's courts shall, in accordance with the law, exercise judicial power independently with respect to administrative cases, and shall not be subject to interference by any administrative organ, public organization or individual.

The people's courts shall set up administrative divisions for the handling of administrative cases.

Article 4

In conducting administrative proceedings, the people's courts shall base themselves on facts and take the law as the criterion.

Article 5

In handling administrative cases, the people's courts shall examine the legality of specific administrative acts.

Article 6

In handling administrative cases, the people's courts shall, as prescribed by law, apply the systems of collegial panel, withdrawal of judicial personnel and public trial and a system whereby the second instance is the final instance.

Article 7

Parties to an administrative suit shall have equal legal positions.

Article 8

Citizens of all nationalities shall have the right to use their native spoken and written languages in administrative proceedings.

In an area where people of a minority nationality live in concentrated communities or where a number of nationalities live together, the people's courts shall conduct adjudication and issue legal documents in the language o languages commonly used by the local nationalities.

The people's courts shall provide interpretation for participants in proceedings who do not understand the language or languages commonly used by the local nationalities.

Article 9

Parties to an administrative suit shall have the right to debate.

Article 10

The people' procuratorates shall have the right to exercise legal supervision over administrative proceedings.

Article 11

The people's courts shall accept suits brought by citizens, legal persons or other organizations against any of the following specific administrative acts:

(1) an administrative sanction, such as detention, fine, rescission of a license or permit, order to suspend production or business or confiscation of property, which one refuses to accept;

(2) a compulsory administrative measure, such as restricting freedom of the person or the sealing up, seizing or freezing of property, which one refuses to accept;

(3) infringement upon one's managerial decision-making powers, which is considered to have been perpetrated by an administrative organ;

(4) refusal by an administrative organ to issue a permit or license, which one considers oneself legally qualified to apply for, or its failure to respond to the application;

(5) refusal by an administrative organ to perform its statutory duty of protecting one's rights of the person and of property, as one has applied for, or its failure to respond to the application;

(6) cases where an administrative organ is considered to have failed to issue a pension according to law;

(7) cases where an administrative organ is considered to have illegally demanded the performance of duties; and

(8) cases where an administrative organ is considered to have infringed upon other rights of the person and of property.

Apart from the provisions set forth in the preceding paragraphs, the people's courts shall accept other administrative suits which may be brought in accordance with the provisions of relevant laws and regulations.

Article 12

The people's courts shall not accept suits brought by citizens, legal persons or other organizations against any of the following matters:

(1) acts of the state in areas like national defence and foreign affairs;

(2) administrative rules and regulations, regulations, or decisions and orders with general binding force formulated and announced by administrative organs;

(3) decisions of an administrative organ on awards or punishments for its personnel or on the appointment or relief of duties of its personnel; and

(4) specific administrative acts that shall, as provided for by law, be finally decided by an administrative organ.

Article 13

The basic people's courts shall have jurisdiction as courts of first instance over administrative cases.

Article 14

The intermediate people's courts shall have jurisdiction as courts of first instance over the following administrative cases:

(1) cases of confirming patent rights of invention and cases handled by the Customs;

(2) suits against specific administrative acts undertaken by departments under the State Council or by the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the Central Government; and

(3) grave and complicated cases in areas under their jurisdiction.

Article 15

The higher people's courts shall have jurisdiction as courts of first instance over grave and complicated administrative cases in areas under their jurisdiction.

Article 16

The Supreme People's Court shall have jurisdiction as a court of first instance over grave and complicated administrative cases in the whole country.

Article 17

An administrative case shall be under the jurisdiction of the people's court in the locality of the administrative organ that initially undertook the specific administrative act. A reconsidered case in which the organ conducting the reconsideration has amended the original specific administrative act may also be placed under the jurisdiction of the people's court in the locality of the administrative organ conducting the reconsideration.

Article 18

A suit against compulsory administrative measures restricting freedom or the person shall be under the jurisdiction of a people's court in the place where the defendant or the plaintiff is located.

Article 19

An administrative suit regarding a real property shall be under the jurisdiction of the people's court in the place where the real property is located.

Article 20

When two or more people's courts have jurisdiction over a suit, the plaintiff may have the option to bring the suit in one of these people's courts. If the plaintiff brings the suit in two or more people's courts that have jurisdiction over the suit, the people's court that first receives the bill of complaint shall have jurisdiction.

Article 21

If a people's court finds that a case it has accepted is not under its jurisdiction, it shall transfer the case to the people's court that does have jurisdiction over the case. The people's court to which the case has been transferred shall not on its own initiative transfer it to another people's court.

Article 22

If a people's court which has jurisdiction over a case is unable to exercise its jurisdiction for special reasons, a people' court at a higher level shall designate another court to exercise the jurisdiction.

If a dispute arises over jurisdiction between people' courts, it shall be resolved by the parties to the dispute through consultation. If the dispute cannot be resolved through consultation, it shall be reported to a people's court superior to the courts in dispute for the designation of jurisdiction.

Article 23

People's courts at higher levels shall have the authority to adjudicate administrative cases over which people's courts at lower levels have jurisdiction as courts of first instance; they may also transfer administrative cases over which they themselves have jurisdiction as courts of first instance to people's courts at lower level for trial.

If people's court deems it necessary for an administrative case of first instance under its jurisdiction to be adjudicated by a people's court at a higher level, it may report to such a people's court for decision.

Article 24

A citizen, a legal person or any other organization that brings a suit in accordance with this Law shall be a plaintiff.

If a citizen who has the right to bring a suit is deceased, his near relatives may bring the suit.

If a legal person or any other organization that has the right to bring a suit terminates, the legal person or any other organization that succeeds to its rights may bring the suit.

Article 25

If a citizen, a legal person or any other organization, brings a suit directly before a people's court, the administrative organ that undertook the specific administrative act shall be the defendant.

For a reconsidered case, if the organ that conducted the reconsideration sustains the original specific administrative act, the administrative organ that initially undertook the act shall be the defendant; if the organ that conducted the reconsideration has amended the original specific administrative act, the administrative organ which conducted the reconsideration shall be the defendant.

If two or more administrative organs have undertaken the same specific administrative act, the administrative organs that have jointly undertaken the act shall be the joint defendants.

If a specific administrative act has been undertaken by an organization authorized to undertake the act by the law or regulations, the organization shall be the defendant. If a specific administrative act has been undertaken by an organization as entrusted by an administrative organ, the entrusting organ shall be the defendant.

If a administrative organ has been abolished, the administrative organ that carries on the exercise of functions and powers of the abolished organ shall be the defendant.

Article 26

A joint suit shall be constituted when one party or both parties consist of two or more persons and the administrative cases are against the same specific administrative act or against the specific administrative acts of the same nature and the people's court considers that the cases can be handled together.

Article 27

If any other citizen, legal person or any other organization has interests in a specific administrative act under litigation, he or it may, as a third party, file a request to participate in the proceedings or may participate in them when so notified by the people's court.

Article 28

Any citizen with no capacity to take part in litigation shall have one or more legal representatives who will act on his behalf in a suit. If the legal representatives try to shift their responsibilities onto each other, the people's court may appoint one of them as the representative of the principal in litigation.

Article 29

Each party or legal representative may entrust one or two persons to represent him in litigation.

A lawyer, a public organization, a near relative of the citizen bringing the suit, or a person recommended by the unit to which the citizen bringing the suit belongs or any other citizen approved by the people's court may be entrusted as an agent ad litem.

Article 30

A lawyer who serves as an agent ad litem may consult materials pertaining to the case in accordance with relevant provisions, and may also investigate among and collect evidence from the organizations and citizens concerned. If the information involves state secrets or the private affairs of individuals, he shall keep it confidential in accordance with relevant provisions of the law.

With the approval of the people's court, parties and other agents ad litem may consult the materials relating to the court proceedings of the case, except those that involve state secrets or the private affairs of individuals.

Article 31

Evidence shall be classified as follows:

(1) documentary evidence;

(2) material evidence;

(3) audio-visual material;

(4) testimony of witnesses;

(5) statements of the parties;

(6) expert conclusions; and

(7) records of inquests and records made on the scene.

Any of the above-mentioned evidence must be verified by the court before it can be taken as a basis for ascertaining a fact.

Article 32

The defendant shall have the burden or proor for the specific administrative act he has undertaken and shall provide the evidence and regulatory documents in accordance with which the act has been undertaken.

Article 33

In the course of legal proceedings, the defendant shall not by himself collect evidence from the plaintiff and witnesses.

Article 34

A people's court shall have the authority to request the parties to provide or supplement evidence.

A people's court shall have the authority to obtain evidence from the relevant administrative organs, other organizations or citizens.

Article 35

In the course of legal proceedings, when a people's court considers that an expert evaluation for a specialized problem is necessary, the expert evaluation shall be made by a expert evaluation department as specified by law. In the absence of such a department, the people's court shall designate one to conduct the expert evaluation.

Article 36

Under circumstances where there is a likelihood that evidence may be destroyed or lost or difficult to obtain later on, the participants in proceedings may apply to the people's court for the evidence to be preserved. The people's court may also on its own initiative take measures to preserve such evidence.

Article 37

A citizen, a legal person or any other organization may, within the scope of cases acceptable to the people's courts, apply to an administrative organ at the next higher level or to an administrative organ as prescribed by the law or regulations for reconsideration, anyone who refuses to accept the reconsideration decision may bring a suit before a people's court; a citizen, a legal person or any other organization may also bring a suit directly before a people's court.

In circumstances where, in accordance with relevant provisions of laws or regulations, a citizen, a legal person or any other organization shall first apply to an administrative organ for reconsideration and then bring a suit before a people's court, if he or it refuses to accept the reconsideration decision, the provisions of the laws or regulations shall apply.

Article 38

If a citizen, a legal person or any other organization applies to an administrative organ for reconsideration, the organ shall make a decision within two months from the day of the receipt of the application, except as otherwise provided for by law or regulations.

Anyone who refuses to accept the reconsideration decision may bring a suit before a people's court within l5 days from the day of the receipt of the reconsideration decision. If the administrative organ conducting the reconsideration fails to make a decision on the expiration of the time limit, the applicant may bring a suit before a people's court within l5 days after the time limit for reconsideration expires, except as otherwise provided for by law.

Article 39

If a citizen, a legal person or any other organization brings a suit directly before a people's court, he or it shall do so within three months from the day when he or it knows that a specific administrative act has been undertaken, except as otherwise provided for by law.

Article 40

If a citizen, a legal person or any other organization fails to observe the time limit prescribed by law due to force majeure or other special reasons, he or it may apply for an extention of the time limit within ten days after the obstacle is removed; the requested extention shall be decided by a people's court.

Article 41

The following requirements shall be met when a suit is brought:

(l) The plaintiff must be a citizen, a legal person or any other organization that considers a specific administrative act to have infringed upon his or its lawful rights and interests;

(2) There must be a specific defendant or defendants;

(3) There must be a specific claim and a corresponding factual basis for the suit; and

(4) The suit must fall within the scope of cases acceptable to the people's courts and the specific jurisdiction of the people's court where it is filed.

Article 42

When a people's court receives a bill of complaint, it shall, upon examination, file a case within seven days or decide to reject the complaint. If the plaintiff refuses to accept the decision, he may appeal to a people's court.

Article 43

A people's court shall send a copy of the bill of complaint to the defendant within five days of filing the case. The defendant shall provide the people's court with the documents on the basis of which a specific administrative act has been undertaken and file a bill of defence within ten days of receiving the copy of the bill of complaint. The people's court shall send a copy of the bill of defence to the plaintiff within five days of receiving it.

Failure by the defendant to file a bill of defence shall not prevent the case from being tried by the people's court.

Article 44

During the time of legal proceedings, execution of the specific administrative act shall not be suspended. Execution of the specific administrative act shall be suspended under one of the following circumstances:

(l) where suspension is deemed necessary by the defendant;

(2) where suspension of execution is ordered by the people's court at the request of the plaintiff because, in the view of the people's court, execution of the specific administrative act will cause irremediable losses and suspension of the execution will not harm public interests; or

(3) where suspension of execution is required by the provisions of laws or regulations.

Article 45

Administrative cases in the people 'e courts shall be tried in public, except for those that involve state secrets or the private affairs of individuals or are otherwise provided for by law.

Article 46

Administrative cases in the people's courts shall be tried by a collegial panel of judges or of judges and assessors. The number of members of a collegial panel shall be an odd number of three or more.

Article 47

If a party considers a member of the judicial personnel to have an interest in the case or to be otherwise related to it, which may affect the impartial handling of the case, the party shall have the right to demand his withdrawal.

If a member of the judicial personnel considers himself to have an interest in the case or to be otherwise related to it, he shall apply for withdrawal.

The provisions of the two preceding paragraphs shall apply to court clerks, interpreters, expert witnesses and persons who conduct inquests.

The withdrawal of the president of the court as the chief judge shall be decided by the court's adjudication committee; the withdrawal of a member of the judicial personnel shall be decided by the president of the court; the withdrawal of other personnel shall be decided by the chief judge. Parties who refuse to accept the decision may apply for reconsideration.

Article 48

If the plaintiff refuses to appear in court without justified reasons after being twice legally summoned by the people's court, the court shall consider this an application for the withdrawal of the suit; if the defendant refuses to appear in court without justified reasons, the court may make a judgment by default.

Article 49

If a participant in the proceedings or any other person commits any of the following acts, the people's court may, according to the seriousness of his offence, reprimand him, order him to sign a statement of repentance or impose upon him a fine of not more than l,000 yuan or detain him for not longer than l5 days; if a crime is constituted, his criminal responsibility shall be investigated:

(l) evading without reason, refusing to assist in or obstructing the execution of the notice of a people's court for assistance in its execution by a person who has the duty to render assistance;

(2) forging, concealing or destroying evidence;

(3) instigating, suborning or threatening others to commit perjury or hindering witnesses from giving testimony;

(4) concealing, transferring, selling or destroying the property that has been sealed up, seized or frozen;

(5) using violence, threats or other means to hinder the personnel of a people's court from performing their duties or disturbing the order of the work of a people's court; or

(6) insulting, slandering, framing, beating or retaliating against the personnel of a people's court, participants in proceedings or personnel who assist in the execution of duties;

A fine or detention must be approved by the president of a people's court. Parties who refuse to accept the punishment decision may apply for reconsideration.

Article 50

A people's court shall not apply conciliation in handling an administrative case.

Article 51

Before a people's court announces its judgment or order on an administrative case, if the plaintiff applies for the withdrawal of the suit, or if the defendant amends its specific administrative act and, as a result, the plaintiff agrees and applies for the withdrawal of the suit, the people's court shall decide whether or not to grant the approval.

Article 52

In handling administrative cases, the people's courts shall take the law, administrative rules and regulations and local regulations as the criteria. Local regulations shall be applicable to administrative cases within the corresponding administrative areas.

In handling administrative cases of a national autonomous area, the people's courts shall also take the regulations on autonomy and separate regulations of the national autonomous area as the criteria.

Article 53

In handling administrative cases, the people's courts shall take, as references, regulations formulated and announced by ministries or commissions under the State Council in accordance with the law and administrative rules and regulations, decisions or orders of the State Council and regulations formulated and announced, in accordance with the law and administrative rules and regulations of the State Council, by the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, of the cities where the people's governments of provinces and autonomous regions are located, and of the larger cities approved as such by the State Council.

If a people's court considers regulations formulated and announced by a loca1 people's government to be inconsistent with regulations formulated and announced by a ministry or commission under the State Council, or if it considers regulations formulated and announced by ministries or commissions under the State Council to be inconsistent with each other, the Supreme People's Court shall refer the matter to the State Council for interpretation or ruling.

Article 54

After hearing a case, a people's court shall make the following judgments according to the varying conditions:

(l) If the evidence for undertaking a specific administrative act is conclusive, the application of the law and regulations to the act is correct, and the legal procedure is complied with, the specific administrative act shall be sustained by judgment.

(2) If a specific administrative act has been undertaken in one of the following circumstances, the act shall be annulled or partially annulled by judgment, or the defendant may be required by judgment to undertake a specific administrative act anew:

a. inadequacy of essential evidence;

b. erroneous application of the law or regulations;

c. violation of legal procedure;

d. exceeding authority; or

e. abuse of powers.

(3) If a defendant fails to perform or delays the performance of his statutory duty, a fixed time shall be set by judgment for his performance of the duty.

(4) If an administrative sanction is obviously unfair, it may be amended by judgment.

Article 55

A defendant who has been judged by a people's court to undertake a specific administrative act anew must not, based on the same fact and reason, undertake a specific administrative act essentially identical with the original act.

Article 56

In handling administrative cases, if a people's court considers the head of an administrative organ or the person directly in charge to have violated administrative discipline, it shall transfer the relevant materials to the administrative organ or the administrative organ at the next higher level or to a supervisory or personnel department; if a people's court considers the person to have committed a crime, it shall transfer the relevant materials to the public security and procuratorial organs.

Article 57

A people's court shall pass a judgment of first instance within three months from the day of filing the case. Extension of the time limit necessitated by special circumstances shall be approved by a higher people's court, extension of the time limit for handling a case of first instance by a higher people's court shall be approved by the Supreme People's Court.

Article 58

If a party refuses to accept a judgment of first instance by a people's court, he shall have the right to file an appeal with the people's court at the next higher level within 15 days of the serving of the written judgment. If a party refuses to accept an order of first instance by a people's court, he shall have the right to file an appeal with the people's court at the next higher level within 10 days of the serving of the written order. All judgments and orders of first instance by a people's court that have not been appealed within the prescribed time limit shall be legally effective.

Article 59

A people's court may handle an appealed case by examining the court records, if it considers the facts clearly ascertained.

Article 60

In handling an appealed case, a people's court shall make a final judgment within two months from the day of receiving the appeal. Extension of the time limit necessitated by special circumstances shall be approved by a higher people's court, extension of the time limit for handling an appealed case by a higher people's court shall be approved by the Supreme People's Court.

Article 61

A people's court shall handle an appealed case respectively according to the conditions set forth below:

(1)If the facts are clearly ascertained and the law and regulations are correctly applied in the original judgment, the appeal shall be rejected and the original judgment sustained;

(2)If the facts are clearly ascertained but the law and regulations are incorrectly applied in the original judgment, the judgment shall be amended according to the law and regulations; or

(3)If the facts are not clearly ascertained in the original judgment or the evidence is insufficient, or a violation of the prescribed procedure may have affected the correctness of the original judgment, the original judgment shall be rescinded and the case remanded to the original people's court for retrial, or the people's court of the second instance may amend the judgment after investigating and clarifying the facts. The parties may appeal against the judgment or order rendered in a retrial of their case.

Article 62

If a party considers that a legally effective judgment or order contains some definite error, he may make complaints to the people's court which tried the case or to a people's court at a higher level, but the execution of the judgment or order shall not be suspended.

Article 63

If the president of a people's court finds a violation of provisions of the law or regulations in a legally effective judgment or order of his court and deems it necessary to have the case retried, he shall refer the matter to the adjudication committee, which shall decide whether a retrial is necessary.

If a people's court at a higher level finds a violation of provisions of the law or regulations in a legally effective judgment or order of a people's court at a lower level, it shall have the power to bring the case up for trial itself or direct the people's court at the lower level to conduct a retrial.

Article 64

If the people's procuratorate finds a violation of provisions of the law or regulations in a legally effective judgment or order of a people's court, it shall have the right to lodge a protest in accordance with procedures of judicial supervision.

Article 65

The parties must perform the legally effective judgment or order of the people's court.

If a citizen, a legal person or any other organization refuses to perform the judgment or order, the administrative organ may apply to a people's court of first instance for compulsory execution or proceed with compulsory execution according to law.

If an administrative organ refuses to perform the judgment or order, the people's court of first instance may adopt the following measures:

(1)Informing the bank to transfer from the administrative organ's account the amount of the fine that should be returned or the damages that should be paid;

(2)Imposing a fine of 50 to 100 yuan per day on an administrative organ that fails to perform the judgment or order within the prescribed time limit, counting from the day when the time limit expires;

(3)Putting forward a judicial proposal to the administrative organ superior to the administrative organ in question or to a supervisory or personnel department; the organ or department that accepts the judicial proposal shall deal with the matter in accordance with the relevant provisions and inform the people's court of its disposition; and

(4)If an administrative organ refuses to execute a judgment or order, and the circumstances are so serious that a crime is constituted, the head of the administrative organ and the person directly in charge shall be investigated for criminal responsibility according to law.

Article 66

If a citizen, a legal person or any other organization, during the period prescribed by law, neither brings a suit nor carries out the specific administrative act, the administrative organ may apply to a people's court for compulsory execution, or proceed with compulsory execution according to law.

Article 67

A citizen, a legal person or any other organization who suffers damage because of the infringement upon his or its lawful rights and interests by a specific administrative act of an administrative organ or the personnel of an administrative organ, shall have the right to claim compensation.

If a citizen, a legal person or any other organization makes an independent claim for damages, the case shall first be dealt with by an administrative organ. Anyone who refuses to accept the disposition by the administrative organ may file a suit in a people's court.

Conciliation may be applied in handling a suit for damages.

Article 68

If a specific administrative act undertaken by an administrative organ or the personnel of an administrative organ infringes upon the lawful rights and interests of a citizen, a legal person or any other organization and causes damage, the administrative organ or the administrative organ to which the above-mentioned personnel belongs shall be liable for compensation.

After paying the compensation, the administrative organ shall instruct those members of its personnel who have committed intentional or gross mistakes in the case to bear part or all of the damages.

Article 69

The cost of compensation shall be included as an expenditure in the government budget at various levels. The people's governments at various levels may order the administrative organs responsible for causing the compensation to bear part or all of the damages. The specific measures thereof shall be formulated by the State Council.

Article 70

This Law shall be applicable to foreign nationals, stateless persons and foreign organizations that are engaged in administrative suits in the People's Republic of China, except as otherwise provided for by law.

Article 71

Foreign nationals, stateless persons and foreign organizations that are engaged in administrative suits in the People's Republic of China shall have the same litigation rights and obligations as citizens and organizations of the People's Republic of China.

Should the courts of a foreign country impose restrictions on the administrative litigation rights of the citizens and organizations of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese people's courts shall follow the principle of reciprocity regarding the administrative litigation rights of the citizens and organizations of that foreign country.

Article 72

If an international treaty concluded or acceded to by the People's Republic of China contains provisions different from those found in this Law, the provisions of the international treaty shall apply, unless the provisions are ones on which the People's Republic of China has announced reservations.

Article 73

When foreign nationals, stateless persons and foreign organizations appoint lawyers as their agents ad litem in administrative suits in the People's Republic of China, they shall appoint lawyers of a lawyers' organization of the People's Republic of China.

Article 74

A people's court shall charge litigation fees for handling administrative cases. The litigation fee shall be borne by the losing party, or by both parties if they are both held responsible. The procedure for the charging of litigation fees shall be specified separately.

Article 75

This Law shall come into force as of October 1, 1990.