A resident sued a local government 10 years ago for forced demolition. A local court accepted the case but it never went to trial. Who is responsible for this absurdity, asks an article in Beijing News (excerpts below).

After his house was demolished in March 2003, Chen Xiaodong from Baoding, Hebei province took the local government to court. He received a notice in April that the case had been accepted.

That was 10 years ago and still no trial.

Staff members at a higher court in the province even thought it was a joke when Chen went to file a complaint.

The local court has evidently failed its duty. According to the Administrative Procedure Law, the court is obliged to send a copy of the indictment to the defendant within five days of accepting the case, and issue a verdict within three months.

It must get approval from a higher court if an extension is needed.

The most possible explanation of the absurdity lies in intervention from local authorities.

Stricter supervision and accountability will go a long way to preventing any repeat of this absurdity.