Digital data to be used as evidence in court

Digital data will be used as evidence in court starting in January to supplement the current list of evidence acceptable in court hearings, a newly passed law amendment has stated.

The modification is part of some 70 changes that were included in the Amendment to the Civil Procedure Law, which was passed on Friday morning at lawmaker's bimonthly session in Beijing.

This is also the second time in six months that the National People's Congress, the top legislature, moved to modify the country's fundamental laws on procedural justice, as speculation circulated in some cases that judicial rulings may be flawed by outside interference.

In March, the top legislature revised the Criminal Procedure Law.

In addition, Friday's amendment adds improvements in protecting the public rights, as government administrations and some social entities will be allowed to file class-action lawsuits, in which a group of people collectively brings a dispute to court.

Currently, only parts of China — such as Yunnan and Gansu provinces — have rolled out pilot programs to try out such initiatives.