Retired judges lend skills to 'silver-haired mediation'

Valuable legal asset

In China, cases are generally treated as either simple or complex.

If the facts are clear and the evidence is sufficient, judges will ask both parties whether they want mediation — an option that usually costs less and takes less time than a full trial.

If either party refuses or no agreement is reached, the case proceeds to litigation.

Liu Haidong, president of the Chaoyang court, described its team of retired judges as its think tank for dispute resolution. In his view, their involvement boosts the public's trust and reassurance in the legal process.

Wang Yue, an employee involved in the heating fee dispute, expressed her gratitude to Hou.

"The retired judge's legal expertise let us pinpoint the core of the conflict right away, and both sides could accept within the law the solution she offered," Wang said. Because mediation is cheaper and faster than litigation it helped the factory keep running smoothly, she said.

Liu praised the outcome of the case, and emphasized that retired judges bring deep legal knowledge and practical experience, which can promote mediation in areas such as marital and family disputes, labor issues, property management, real estate transactions, financial loans, and intellectual property disputes.

Zhao Hai, a senior judge of the filing division at the Xicheng court, said that the legal background of retired judges makes mediation more professional and can ensure the quality of case handling.

"A successful mediation means a case will not enter later litigation stages, which will ease the workload of sitting judges and free them to have more time to concentrate on complex legal issues and lawsuits," he said.

In Chinese culture elderly people are widely respected, and parties in conflict are often willing to listen to their advice, he added. "So retired judges are a valuable legal asset for both the courts and society," he said.

Data from the court showed that it has 107 mediators, including four retired judges, with the number expected to grow.