In order to better serve and safeguard the national strategy for integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta through enhanced maritime enforcement measures, promote the substantive operation of the Yangtze River Delta Maritime Courts Enforcement Alliance ("the Alliance"), and strengthen cross-regional enforcement collaboration, an online judicial practice seminar was convened on February 28. Initiated by the Nanjing Maritime Court, the event brought together four maritime courts—Shanghai, Wuhan, Ningbo, and Nanjing.

Enforcement Experience Sharing

Heads of the enforcement departments from the four maritime courts reported on their 2024 enforcement efforts, exchanging experiences and practices based on each court's specific case profiles, operational realities, and regional contexts.

Shanghai Maritime Court leveraged the Alliance's collaborative mechanism to facilitate coordinated enforcement actions among multiple maritime courts, successfully resolving a series of enforcement cases related to people's livelihoods.

Wuhan Maritime Court emphasized good-faith enforcement in business-related cases. Their approach supports the high-quality development of the private port and shipping sector while fostering a rule-of-law business environment.

Ningbo Maritime Court integrated local resources to address enforcement challenges. By upgrading its "One-Stop Ship Enforcement" system to expedite the realization of creditors' rights, the court has established a model for maritime enforcement. 

Nanjing Maritime Court deepened the innovative joint enforcement mechanism with local courts to resolve complex, intractable cases. Additionally, the court is actively exploring "the integration of enforcement and bankruptcy proceedings" to provide robust support for the maritime economy. 

Frontline Insights from Enforcement Officers

Representatives from the four courts shared practical experiences from diverse enforcement perspectives:

Lv Yunkai, Judge Assistant at Shanghai Maritime Court, detailed a successful joint enforcement case, highlighting the importance of on-site investigations and targeted asset searches based on  the debtor's nature, as well as the necessity of verifying the status of corporate legal representatives. By doing so, they managed to overcome the challenge of locating parties, ultimately facilitating a settlement.

Chen Nan, Judge at Wuhan Maritime Court, shared the practices of handling a series of cross-regional maritime labor dispute cases. He emphasized the value of strengthening inter-court communication and collaboration to jointly guide crew members through the creditor's rights registration process, ensuring their rights were legally safeguarded. Additionally, Chen shared Wuhan Maritime Court's explorations in blockchain-based evidence preservation and the application of the AI-empowered case process information management system to enhance enforcement efficiency.

Xiao Kunyi, Judge at Ningbo Maritime Court, presented a complex and challenging vessel dispute involving multiple stakeholders, including ship charterer, ship repair yard, crew members, and the shipowner. Adhering to the principles of good-faith enforcement, he adopted flexible measures. By opting for a flexible arrest, he ultimately achieved a mutually beneficial outcome for all parties involved.

Qian Jianguo, Judge at Nanjing Maritime Court, shared the experience of overseeing the removal of heavy equipment from a port—a case with no precedent. By carefully formulating a two-part execution plan, collaborating with local courts, actively seeking support from the local government, they successfully resolved the relocation of a 1,000-ton-class terminal. He also shared his insights and research on substitute performance in the enforcement of acts. 

Deepening Collaboration

In 2023, the four maritime courts jointly signed the "Memorandum of Strategic Cooperation on the Yangtze River Delta Maritime Enforcement Alliance" to deepen collaboration in maritime enforcement. Under the guidance of this Memorandum, they utilized this online seminar to explore new approaches to enforcement cooperation that reflect the distinctive characteristics of  maritime justice, marking another practical step forward in the collaboration.

It is hoped that the Enforcement Bureau of Nanjing Maritime Court will leverage its "latecomer advantage," actively learn from the experiences of its peers, and continuously enhance its professional capabilities. It is also expected that such seminars will become a regularized platform to build consensus and pool strengths. Furthermore, there is anticipation for deeper expansion in the field of enforcement collaboration between maritime courts, sharing enforcement resources and jointly cultivating the Alliance's brand.