Russia and China Hold Judicial Consultations in Beijing, Agree to Expedite Legal Assistance and Prisoner Transfers
Dragon Media News Desk
Russia and China have held expert-level consultations in Beijing on improving mutual legal assistance in civil and criminal cases and accelerating procedures for transferring convicted citizens to their home countries to serve the remainder of their sentences.
The bilateral consultations were held at China’s Ministry of Justice. The Russian delegation was led by Valery Lysak, Deputy Director of the Department of International Law and Cooperation, while the Chinese side was headed by Feng Guan, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation.
According to the Russian Ministry of Justice, the meeting covered a broad range of issues related to bilateral judicial cooperation, with particular attention to making existing mechanisms for legal assistance in civil and criminal matters more efficient.
The two sides discussed shortening the time required to process judicial requests under the 1992 Russia-China treaty on legal assistance in civil and criminal matters.
They also reviewed procedures under the 1965 Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents, with the aim of improving the handling of court requests and related legal documents between the two countries.
Following the consultations, both sides agreed on the need to reduce response times for judicial requests. They also agreed that when the execution of a request is delayed, the relevant authorities should promptly notify or remind their counterparts in the other country.
Special attention was given to accelerating the transfer of Russian and Chinese nationals who have been convicted and are serving sentences in the other country.
The two sides discussed simplifying document flows, improving coordination among competent authorities and reducing delays in decision-making related to prisoner transfers.
According to the Russian Justice Ministry, more efficient transfer procedures are expected to strengthen the protection of the rights of convicted citizens of both countries while improving the overall effectiveness of judicial cooperation.
Russia and China have expanded institutional dialogue in legal and judicial affairs alongside their broader political, economic and security cooperation. The 1992 bilateral legal-assistance treaty provides a framework for cooperation in areas including the service of documents, collection of evidence, recognition and enforcement of court decisions, and other forms of judicial assistance.
The latest consultations in Beijing reaffirmed the two countries’ intention to strengthen direct cooperation between their justice authorities and develop more efficient and sustainable mechanisms for legal assistance, judicial requests and the transfer of convicted citizens.
