The Supreme People's Court (SPC) and the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) have jointly issued a decision to amend two previously released judicial interpretations in the ecological and environmental field. The amended judicial interpretations will come into force on Aug 15, 2026.
The amendments cover the Provisions of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on Several Issues Concerning Public Interest Litigation on Marine Natural Resources and Ecological Environment and the Interpretation of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Laws in Handling Criminal Cases of Environmental Pollution.
The judicial interpretation on marine-related public interest litigation has been renamed the Provisions of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on Several Issues Concerning the Handling of Public Interest Litigation Cases Concerning Marine Ecological Environment. Its preamble and relevant articles have been updated to align with the provisions of the Ecological and Environmental Code, further clarifying the specific requirements for procuratorial organs in performing their legal supervision duties in accordance with law.
The preamble of the judicial interpretation on criminal cases of environmental pollution has been revised as follows: "For the purpose of punishing environmental pollution crimes in accordance with law, and in light of the relevant provisions of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China, the Ecological and Environmental Code of the People's Republic of China, and the Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China, the following interpretation is made regarding several issues concerning the application of the law in the handling of such criminal cases."
These amendments mark an important step taken by the SPC and the SPP in the comprehensive consolidation of judicial interpretations in the ecological and environmental field following the promulgation of the Ecological and Environmental Code.
