Shenzhen relies on law-based approach to combat COVID-19

Shenzhen, a coastal metropolis in South China's Guangdong province, adopted a law-based approach in its fight against COVID-19 from the beginning, ensuring the orderly implementation of all its epidemic prevention measures.

In its first move to prevent the epidemic, the local judicial bureau summoned legal professionals from across the city to form a legal service group on Jan 26, which is tasked with providing the government with legal opinions and services throughout the battle.

The group quickly clarified the extent of the administrative power over various prevention measures including quarantine, and drafted three notification letters including one to the public on the second day of its establishment.

As a city with a huge migrant population, Shenzhen faces significant threat from the epidemic as people from across the country begin to return to the city from the Spring Festival holiday.

Aware of the situation, the bureau promptly compiled needed laws and regulations and worked with the local legislative authority to put the epidemic-related legislation on the legislative agenda.

It also cooperated with other administrative authorities in issuing a roughly 30,000 Chinese character-long guideline for administrative law enforcement work in key areas during the epidemic prevention, standardizing law enforcement practices in areas like public health.

Apart from laying out the framework, the bureau also made a great effort to tackle all types of specific issues arising from epidemic prevention, including home quarantine, donations, suspension of work, relief policies for small and medium-sized enterprises, property expropriation and emergency procurement of epidemic prevention materials.

To more effectively carry out epidemic prevention at the community level, the bureau issued an open letter to all citizens, encouraging them to stay home as a way to fight the epidemic. It also compiled a collection of Q&As to increase people's knowledge of the legal aspects of epidemic prevention.

After closing the city's public legal service centers over the epidemic, the bureau switched to an online approach to maintain public access to such services as legal consulting, legal aid, notary services, forensic services as well as administrative reconsideration.