President of the Supreme People's Court, Zhou Qiang (R), shake hands with Lord Neuberger (L), president of the UK Supreme Court, in Beijing on May 25. [Photo by Sun Ruofeng/People's Court Daily]

Zhou Qiang, President of China’s top court, met with visiting UK Supreme Court President Lord Neuberger on May 25 in Beijing.

Zhou said that the supreme courts of the two countries have a close relationship and that the visit will deepen their cooperation and open a new judicial chapter between them.

“Deepening reform in the judicial system has been quite profound for the courts here in China,” Zhou said, adding that the performance and efficiency of courts have improved and judicial credibility has strengthened.

Broadening IT applications in the judicial work is one such reform. Courts of various levels in China are turning themselves into “Smart Courts” to better serve both the people and judiciary, Zhou noted.

As information construction in the legal system proceeds, especially through better processing of procedural documents and judicial announcements, a more dynamic, transparent and efficient judicial system emerges, Zhou said.

Lord Neuberger echoed Zhou as he outlined legal reforms in the UK and expressed his desire for closer cooperation in law between the two countries.