China's top court specifies civil evidence rules concerning electronic data
Xinhua
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BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) Thursday announced a decision on revising its rules on civil procedure evidence, specifying the scope of electronic data and the regulations on examining and confirming electronic data.

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File photo by Supreme People's Court of China

The decision aims to improve the rules for civil procedure evidence, standardize the handling of evidence of civil trials and guarantee the litigation rights of the parties concerned.

"Electronic data is a new form of evidence introduced into the civil procedure law in 2012. A legal interpretation issued in 2015 by the SPC defined electronic data," said Jiang Bixin, vice president of the SPC.

Electronic data include information released via online platforms such as webpages, blogs and microblogs, messages such as short messages sent via cellphones and emails, user registration information, computer files and other digital evidence, according to the decision.

The authenticity of electronic data should be judged on seven factors, including the integrity and credibility of the hardware and software of the computer system that generates, stores and transfers the electronic data, the decision reads.

Electronic data notarized by notary organs should be confirmed as authentic by people's courts, except where there is evidence to the contrary that repudiates the electronic data evidence, the decision says.