陶凯元：司法推进多元化纠纷解决机制建设—在2016年欧盟最高法院院长联盟研讨会上的发言
来源：多元化纠纷解决机制
作者：陶凯元
发布时间：2016-11-6 1:45:27
10月20日至21日，2016年欧盟最高法院院长联盟研讨会在西班牙首都马德里召开。受中华人民共和国首席大法官、最高人民法院院长周强的委托，中华人民共和国二级大法官、最高人民法院副院长陶凯元作为特邀代表率团出席研讨会。这是该会议机制首次邀请中国最高人民法院参加。在“多元化纠纷解决：调解与仲裁”议题研讨中，陶凯元副院长以“司法推进多元化纠纷解决机制建设”为题用英文发言，介绍了中国各级法院在建设多元化纠纷解决机制方面做出的努力。
Justice Boosts the Building of Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism
-- Speech at the 2016 Colloquium of the Network of the Presidents of the Supreme Judicial Courts of the European Union
TAO Kaiyuan, Justice & Vice President of the Supreme People’s Court, P. R. China
October 21st, 2016
Honorable Chairwoman Susan Denham,
Honorable President Carlos,
Honorable Presidents of the Supreme Judicial Courts of the European Union,
Dear friends and colleagues,
Thanks a lot for the very kind invitationMy colleagues and I take it as a great honor to have the opportunity to meet all of you in this golden autumn season in the beautiful country of Spain. First of all, on behalf of the Supreme People’s Court of China and the Chief Justice & President Zhou Qiang, I’d like to express our sincere greetings and best wishes to all of you and we do wish this conference a complete success.
China, EU and EU member states have a long history of legal and judicial exchange and cooperation and have achieved fruitful results. Colleagues of Chinese courts and EU member states’ courts are bonded by sincere friendship and have reached many consensuses. We expect that both sides will launch more in-depth exchange and cooperation in more extensive areas. We also sincerely welcome all of you to China to experience the progress and achievements in legal construction and judicial reform.
Here, I would like to introduce the developments of ADR in China and the contribution to this system made by Chinese courts on the topic of “Justice Boosts the Building of Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism”.
"Harmony is the most essential part of ritual applications". This traditional Chinese thinking conceived Chinese mediation system, which revived itself in the new era.
China has incorporated the Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanism into the strategy of "modernization of national governance system and governance capability". Basically, it has formed an Alternative dispute resolution system, under which people's mediation, administrative mediation, industry mediation, commercial mediation, arbitration, administrative review, administrative adjudication and litigation connect and coordinate with one another. At present, there are 3.91 million people's mediators from 790,000 people's mediation committees in China. In 2015, they resolved 9.33 million disputes. Local labor and personnel dispute mediation organizations and arbitration institutions resolved more than 1.72 million disputes. In addition, more than 40,000 people's mediators from 251 commercial arbitration institutions accepted nearly 137, 000ases last year.
Since the launch of judicial reform in the past decade, Chinese courts have been dedicated to integrating traditional "harmony" culture into the construction of modern legal system, facilitating effective connection between litigation and non-litigation dispute resolution mechanisms, and actively boosting the development and integration of resolution resources such as mediation and arbitration. In recent years, Chinese courts have mainly taken the following measures in supporting the development of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms such as mediation and arbitration:
I. Establishing "Litigation and Mediation" Connecting Platform within Courts
With the active efforts of the Supreme People’s Court, currently 3,498 Chinese courts which accounting for 98.9% courts at all levels have established litigation service centers, "Connecting litigation and mediation" is an important function of such centers, meanwhile, they guide the parties concerned, divert cases, train mediators, and administer dispute cases.
II. Establishing the Specially Invited Mediation System of Courts
The specially invited mediation system of Chinese courts was established with reference to the court-annexed mediation system of foreign courts combined with the situation of Chinese courts. In 2015, all courts incorporated a total of 32,912 specially invited mediation organizations with 104,516 special mediators that resolved a large amount of disputes filed by courts through mediation. The main contents of this system are as below:
First, establish the rosters for special mediation organizations or mediators. Courts communicate with external dispute resolution resources through the rosters and administer on the rosters. Parties concerned may voluntarily subject their disputes to special mediation and select mediation organizations or mediators from the rosters.
Second, set up a regulated special mediation procedure. The court may delegate mediators from the rosters to mediate any case that has been submitted but not registered and filed. If succeeded, the parties concerned may apply for judicial confirmation of the mediation agreement. The court may also entrust mediators from the rosters to mediate any case that has been filed. If succeeded, the judge will issue the mediation document after examination of the mediation agreement.
III. Recognizing and Granting Legal Effect and Enforceability to Mediation Agreement
The judicial confirmation of mediation agreement is a new system to support the non-litigation mediation mechanism and a hallmark of the Chinese mediation system. In 2012, the amended Civil Procedure Law of the P.R.C. specifically provides for the special procedure of judicial confirmation of mediation agreement. Upon the agreement on dispute between the parties concerned after mediation by a mediation organization, either party may apply to a grass-roots people's court for confirming its effect. If it complies with laws as reviewed by the court, the mediation agreement will have enforceability after being confirmed by the court. The judicial confirmation system is the key to the connection between litigation and non-litigation mediation. From January to August 2016, Chinese courts have handled more than 65,000 judicial confirmation cases. The judicial guarantee of non-litigation mediation greatly improved the development of non-litigation mediation.
IV. Supporting the Reform of Arbitration System
In 2015, the Supreme People’s Court issued the Interpretation on the Application of the 'Civil Procedure Law of the People’s Republic of China' to support the arbitration awards strongly. For example, in order to adapt to the international trend from substantial review to procedural review, we deleted two circumstances under which arbitration awards will not be enforced due to insufficient main evidence to ascertain facts and wrong application of laws. By doing so, we give more authority to arbitration. Recently, the Supreme People’s Court issued four judicial interpretations or documents concerning judicial review of arbitration, including coordination of jurisdiction conflict between arbitration tribunals and courts, and recognition of foreign provisional arbitration awards, etc. Meanwhile, in the opinions on providing judicial guarantee for the "Belt and Road" Initiative, the Supreme People’s Court emphasized its recognition and enforcement of arbitration awards of countries along the "Belt and Road". In 2015, the people's courts at all levels enforced a total of 191,489 arbitration awards.
V. Boosting International Development of Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism
Chinese courts are striving to create an international, outgoing, and cooperative alternative dispute resolution system. We will strengthen cooperation and exchange with international and interregional mediation organizations, arbitration institutions, and judicial authorities, constantly satisfy the diversified judicial needs of the parties concerned from China and abroad, and fully respect their voluntary selection by taking into account such factors as politics, laws, and culture of their countries, while supporting them in resolving disputes by non-litigation means such as mediation and arbitration.
Meanwhile, Chinese courts has been paid great attention to the application of new scientific and technological achievements and striving to build "smart courts". We are endeavoring to explore the integrated information platform of online mediation, filing, judicial confirmation, adjudication, supervision procedure, and service, and create an online dispute resolution system that is jointly constructed and shared, open, inclusive and innovation-driven with its resources being interconnected, in an effort to promote the cross integration of various dispute resolution mechanisms, including mediation and arbitration, and modernize traditional means of dispute resolution.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear friends and colleagues,
The alternative dispute resolution mechanism not only coincides with the traditional Chinese philosophy of “using mediation instead of litigation to solve disputes in a harmonious society ", but also complies with the global trend of legal thinking. I hope we will strengthen exchange, share experience, and actively meet and answer the challenges. In addition, we should promote the development of alternative dispute resolution mechanism, enable more disputes to be resolved with rationality, through consultation and dialogues, and in a win-win way.
Thank you.
附：演讲中文稿
尊敬的苏珊·丹瀚姆主席，尊敬的卡洛斯·莱斯迈斯院长，尊敬的欧盟各国最高法院院长，各位朋友、各位同仁：
非常感谢会议的盛情邀请，我和我的同事们能有机会在美好的金秋时节与各位朋友和同仁相聚在美丽的西班牙，深感荣幸。首先，请允许我代表中国最高人民法院和首席大法官周强院长，向各位表达最真诚的问候和最美好的祝福，并祝愿会议取得圆满成功！
中国与欧盟和欧盟各国的法律与司法交流合作源远流长、富有成效，中国法院与欧盟和欧盟各国法院的同行之间友谊真挚、共识颇多。我们期待，双方将来能在更广泛的领域有更深入的交流与合作，也真诚欢迎各位到中国实地考察中国法治建设和司法改革的进展和成果。
下面，我以“司法推进多元化纠纷解决机制建设”为题介绍一下多元化纠纷解决机制在中国发展的情况及中国法院为此制度所作出的贡献。
“礼之用，和为贵”的中华传统思想孕育了中国的调解制度。在新时期，中国的调解制度焕发了新的活力。
中国将多元化纠纷解决机制纳入“国家治理体系和治理能力现代化”的战略之中，已经基本形成以人民调解、行政调解、行业调解、商事调解、仲裁、行政复议、行政裁决、诉讼等有机衔接、相互配合的多元化纠纷解决体系。目前，中国有79万人民调解委员会，391万人民调解员，2015年化解933万件纠纷；各地劳动人事争议调解组织和仲裁机构共处理争议172.1万件；商事仲裁机构251个，4万多仲裁员，去年受理案件136924件。
十余年来，中国法院在司法改革过程中，致力于将传统“和合”文化融入现代法制建设，促进诉讼与非诉讼纠纷解决机制的有效衔接，积极推动调解、仲裁等解纷资源的发展与整合。近年来，法院在支持调解、仲裁等替代性纠纷解决机制的发展等方面主要采取以下举措：
一、法院内部设立“诉调对接”平台
在最高人民法院的积极推动下，目前，中国有3498个法院建立了诉讼服务中心，覆盖率达98.9%，其中，“诉调对接”是这一机构的重要职能，承担了对当事人进行辅导、分流案件、培训调解人员、管理纠纷案件等职能。
二、建立法院特邀调解制度
中国法院建立的特邀调解制度是借鉴国外法院附设调解制度，结合中国法院具体情况建立。2015年全国各地法院共吸纳特邀调解组织有32912 个，特邀调解员达104516人，使大量进入法院的纠纷通过调解化解。主要有以下内容：
一是明确法院开展特邀调解工作应当建立名册。法院通过名册制度与法院外的纠纷解决资源沟通联络，并对名册进行规范化管理。当事人可以自愿选择特邀调解，并从名册中挑选调解组织或者调解员解决纠纷。
二是设定规范的特邀调解程序。对于起诉到法院但尚未登记立案的案件，法院可以委派名册内人员进行调解，调解成功，当事人可以申请对调解协议进行司法确认。法院受理案件之后，法院可以委托名册内人员进行调解，调解成功，由法官审查调解协议后出具调解书。
三、确认与赋予调解协议法律效力与执行效力
调解协议的司法确认是中国建立的一项支持诉讼外调解机制的新制度，是中国调解制度的一大特色。2012年，《中华人民共和国民事诉讼法》修订，专门规定了调解协议的司法确认特别程序。当事人之间的纠纷经调解组织调解达成协议后，双方当事人可以向基层人民法院申请确认其效力，法院经审查认为符合法律规定的，予以确认后即获得强制执行效力。司法确认制度打通了诉讼与诉讼外调解衔接的关键点。今年1-8月，全国法院共办理司法确认案件65000多件，通过对诉讼外调解的司法保障，极大的推动了诉讼外调解的发展。
四、大力支持仲裁制度改革
2015年，最高人民法院发布《关于适用<中华人民共和国民事诉讼法>的解释》，通过司法解释层面积极支持仲裁裁决。如为适应国际上对仲裁从实体审查到程序审查的过渡的潮流，将原民诉法中对于认定事实的主要证据不足和法律适用错误这两种情形作为不予执行仲裁裁决的两种情况删除，赋予仲裁更大的权威。最近，最高人民法院出台了四项关于仲裁司法审查的司法解释或司法文件，包括仲裁庭和法院管辖权冲突的协调，境外临时仲裁的承认等问题。同时，最高人民法院在为一带一路战略提供司法保障的意见中，强调了对沿线各国仲裁裁决的承认和执行。2015年，各级人民法院共执行仲裁裁决191489件，对仲裁裁决予以司法保障。
五、推动多元化纠纷解决机制的国际化发展
中国法院正在努力打造国际化、外向型、合作型的多元化纠纷解决体系。我们将加强与国际、区际调解组织、仲裁机构、司法机构的合作与交流，不断满足中外当事人的多元司法需求，充分尊重中外当事人基于其所在国政治、法律、文化等因素作出的自愿选择，支持其通过调解、仲裁等非诉讼方式解决纠纷。
与此同时，中国法院高度重视新科技成果的应用，努力建设“智慧法院”。我们正在努力探索在线调解、在线立案、在线司法确认、在线审判、电子督促程序、电子送达为一体的信息平台，打造一个资源互通、共建共享、开放包容、创新驱动的在线纠纷解决体系，促进调解、仲裁、诉讼等各类纠纷解决机制的跨界融合，引领传统纠纷解决方式向现代纠纷解决方式的“升级换代”。
女士们、先生们，朋友们，多元化纠纷解决机制契合中国传统“和谐无讼，调处息争”的理念，同时，也符合世界法治思想发展的潮流。希望我们更多地加强交流、分享经验，积极应对面临的挑战，促进多元化纠纷解决机制的发展，让更多的纠纷以平和理性、协商对话、合作共赢的方式解决。