China clarifies criminal penalties for noncompliance with court rulings

China's top judicial authorities issued new guidelines Monday to clarify criminal penalties for individuals who refuse to comply with court rulings, aiming to better protect the rights of those who win lawsuits.

The 16-article judicial interpretation, jointly released by the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, will take effect Dec 1, the agencies announced.

The move is part of broader efforts to enhance judicial authority and credibility by ensuring timely enforcement of court decisions, the SPC and SPP said in a statement.

Under China's Criminal Law, individuals who are capable of complying with court rulings but deliberately fail to do so are committing a crime. Offenders face penalties ranging from fines and criminal detention to imprisonment of up to three years for serious violations. For "extremely serious" cases, sentences can extend to seven years along with a fine.

The new interpretation defines certain acts as constituting "extremely serious" circumstances, including violent resistance to court orders through actions such as assault, detention, or other forms of physical violence.

Additionally, if noncompliance leads to severe consequences for the winning party in a lawsuit — including incidents such as suicide or self-harm — it will also be categorized as "extremely serious", the authorities said.