Judicial Interpretation of the Supreme People's Court: Reply on Certain Issues Concerning the Application of Law in the Jurisdiction of Some Civil Cases (2025.12.31)

2026-01-06

Reply of the Supreme People's Court on Certain Issues Concerning the Application of Law in the Jurisdiction of Some Civil Cases

Judicial Interpretation (2025) No. 15

 (Adopted at the 1,959^th session of the Judicial Committee of the Supreme People's Court on November 24, 2025; effective as of December 31, 2025)

1. Where the parties, by a written agreement, choose to submit to the jurisdiction of a court located in a place other than the domicile of the defendant, the place of performance of the contract, the place where the contract was concluded, the domicile of the plaintiff, or the location of the subject matter, but fail to provide evidence proving that such place has an actual connection with the dispute, the people's court shall, in accordance with the law, determine that the jurisdiction agreement is invalid.

2. Where the parties, by a written agreement, refer a case that must be heard exclusively by a specialized people’s court to another people’s court, the people's court shall, in accordance with the law, determine that the agreement is invalid, and shall determine jurisdiction in accordance with the provisions of law and judicial interpretations regarding the jurisdiction of specialized courts.

3. Where a jurisdiction agreement between the parties does not explicitly designate a specific competent people’s court, but a people’s court with jurisdiction can be determined in accordance with the law based on the geographic area agreed upon by the parties and in combination with factors such as the nature of the case and the amount in dispute, if a party claims that the jurisdiction agreement is invalid solely on the grounds that a specific court was not explicitly designated, the people’s court shall not support such a claim.

4. Where the parties agree that a dispute may be submitted either to an arbitration institution for arbitration or to a relevant people’s court for litigation, the arbitration agreement shall be invalid, but this shall not affect the validity of the agreement on litigation jurisdiction. The people’s court may determine jurisdiction according to the relevant agreement in accordance with the law.

5. Lawsuits arising from disputes over liability insurance contracts may be under the jurisdiction of the people’s court of the domicile of the insured.