Comprehensive legal support for enterprises in Hainan to overcome epidemic

The Department of Justice of Hainan province has set out a range of 18 specific measures as follows in an effort to enhance legal support for local businesses amid the epidemic.

1. Draw on various online channels including the province's legal service website, hotline, WeChat public account and mobile app as well as online videos and telephone appointments to provide enterprises with online legal services.

2. Organize lawyers to provide enterprises with legal consultations using the 12348 hotline in day and night shifts with online commenting to ensure the continuity of the service.

3. Take various approaches to increase enterprises and employees' awareness of laws and policies related to epidemic prevention and control.

4. Make full use of new media platforms like WeChat and Toutiao as well as official websites to expand relevant legal and health knowledge among enterprises and employees.

5. Open online columns for senior lawyers to interpret relevant legal provisions and polices in order to help enterprises develop in a law-based manner.

6. Organize lawyers to conduct "legal health examinations" for private enterprises in order to assess their legal risks arising from the epidemic.

7. Organize legal service teams to provide SMEs with free legal consultations over disputes involving such issues as labor, social security and contracts. 

8. Organize lawyers to study epidemic-related legal issues and bring up proposals in order to provide legal advice and guidelines for enterprises.

9. Use online platforms to streamline notary services in order to shorten the time spent by enterprises on such services.

10. Cut or exempt the notary fees for force majeure-related matters in order to mitigate the losses of enterprises.

11. Organize notary offices to notarize authorities' crackdown on market irregularities to create a favorable environment for enterprises to resume operation.

12. Organize forensic service institutions to prioritize their services for enterprises, shorten the times involved, and cut or exempt their fees.

13. Open special arbitration channels for enterprises and explore new work modes by using telecommunication technology and networks that support online case filings and remote hearings.

14. Delay payment of or reduce or exempt arbitration application fee for enterprises greatly affected by the epidemic in order to alleviate their burden and encourage them to choose arbitration as a way to address disputes.

15. Explore a diversified dispute settlement mechanism that integrates arbitration with mediation to lead enterprises to solve disputes through mediation.

16. Organize people's mediation organizations at all levels and people's mediators to carry out in-depth screening of disputes over such issues as labor-management relations and contract execution in order to help enterprises settle disputes in ways other than litigation.

17. Open green legal aid channels, hasten the application review process, and provide the services before employees can file all the materials required for an application

18. Make full use of online platforms and the hotline to provide employees with legal consultations and legal aid, and allow those who are unable to make online applications to make appointments by telephone.