The justice system
Deze les is nog niet in jouw taal beschikbaar — hij wordt in het Engels getoond.
Woordenschat
- 司法制度judicial system
- 法院court
- 起诉to sue / to file a lawsuit
- 被告defendant
- 原告plaintiff
- 证据evidence
- 判决verdict / ruling
- 上诉to appeal
- 律师lawyer / attorney
- 调解mediation
The Judicial System in Chinese
China's judicial system has its own distinct vocabulary and logic. Understanding how to discuss courts, legal proceedings, and verdicts in Chinese is an important B2 skill.
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Types of Courts
人民法院 (rénmín fǎyuàn) — People's Court (general term):
- 基层法院 (jīcéng fǎyuàn) — Basic People's Court (lowest level, similar to district court)
- 中级法院 (zhōngjí fǎyuàn) — Intermediate Court
- 高级法院 (gāojí fǎyuàn) — Higher People's Court
- 最高人民法院 (zuìgāo rénmín fǎyuàn) — Supreme People's Court
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Starting a Legal Action
起诉 (qǐsù) — to file a lawsuit / to bring a case:
他决定向法院起诉。(Tā juédìng xiàng fǎyuàn qǐsù.) — He decided to take the matter to court.
立案 (lì'àn) — to register a case / accept the case:
法院已就此案正式立案。(Fǎyuàn yǐ jiù cǐ àn zhèngshì lì'àn.) — The court has formally accepted this case.
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Court Language
庭审 (tíng shěn) — court hearing / trial:
庭审将于下周举行。(Tíng shěn jiāng yú xià zhōu jǔxíng.) — The trial will be held next week.
无罪 / 有罪 (wúzuì / yǒuzuì) — not guilty / guilty:
被告被判无罪。(Bèigào bèi pàn wúzuì.) — The defendant was found not guilty.
判决 (pànjué) — verdict / ruling:
法院作出了判决。(Fǎyuàn zuòchū le pànjué.) — The court issued its ruling.
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Mediation as Alternative
调解 (tiáojiě) is often preferred over litigation in China:
双方同意通过调解解决争议。
(Shuāngfāng tóngyì tōngguò tiáojiě jiějué zhēngyì.)
— Both parties agreed to resolve the dispute through mediation.
Uitdrukkingen
- 他决定向法院起诉He decided to take the matter to court — 向法院起诉 is the standard phrase for filing a lawsuit with a court
- 法院已就此案正式立案The court has formally accepted this case — 立案 is the technical term for case registration, a key step in the Chinese legal process
- 庭审将于下周举行The trial will be held next week — 庭审 specifically refers to the court hearing or trial proceeding
- 被告被判无罪The defendant was found not guilty — 被判 (was judged) + 无罪 (not guilty) is the standard verdict formula
- 法院作出了判决The court issued its ruling — 作出判决 is the standard phrase for when a court delivers a decision
- 双方同意通过调解解决争议Both parties agreed to resolve the dispute through mediation — 调解 is often preferred to litigation in Chinese legal culture
Veelgemaakte fouten
我要去法庭告他。我决定向法院起诉。Use 法院 (court, general) rather than 法庭 (courtroom, the physical space). The correct verb phrase is 向法院起诉 (file a lawsuit with the court), not just 告 which is colloquial
法官说他是无罪的。被告被判无罪。In court verdicts, use the formal passive 被判无罪 (was judged not guilty). 法官说 (the judge said) is too informal and does not reflect how verdicts are reported in legal contexts
他们用谈话来解决问题。双方同意通过调解解决争议。Use 调解 (mediation) as the technical term, not 谈话 (talk). Use 争议 (dispute) rather than 问题 (problem). The full formula 通过调解解决争议 is the standard legal phrasing
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