Battery-powered yacht to spread legal awareness

A green-energy yacht was launched in Beijing's Jinhai Lake on Tuesday, commissioned by Beijing Pinggu District People's Court as a mobile publicity vessel for promoting legal awareness and environmental protection.

Two judges from the Jinhai Lake Court under the Pinggu court and four staff members from Jinhai Lake Scenic Area will volunteer to offer visitors legal services on board the capital's only yacht powered by lithium batteries.

Visitors can learn about ecology and the environment while on deck, and interact with a robot to better understand related laws.

"Our aim is to make knowledge of the law more accessible to tourists, helping them enhance their legal awareness and promote tourism development for the lake," the Pinggu court said.

The move will help residents understand how courts deal with environmental cases and how to file relevant litigation if their surroundings are polluted.

Other courts in Beijing have also come up with new ways to help the public strengthen environmental protection by rule of law.

Legal service stations will soon be set up in Changyang Park and Changgou National Wetland Park in Fangshan district, according to the district people's court.

The court said that it will improve engagement with local residents by organizing dramas and introducing influential environmental cases to increase their legal knowledge and help them better understand judicial work.

Chinese courts have put a greater focus on environmental and ecological cases over the past decade, with harsher punishments handed down to polluters and measures introduced to protect biodiversity.