Wuhan University Center of Ascertainment of Foreign Law

*The original text is Chinese and has been translated into English for reference only. If there is any inconsistency or ambiguity between the Chinese version and the English version, the Chinese version shall prevail.

Although the Center was set up in 2016, Wuhan University School of Law and Wuhan University Institute of International Law, as one of the main institutes teaching and researching international and comparative law in China, has provided a large number of legal advice for China’s government agencies and people’s courts since 1980s when China started its reform and opening-up. For instance, in 1981, Professor Han Depei and Professor Li Shuangyuan were invited by related government agencies to provide legal advice regarding contractual dispute between Baosteel, which was then one of the major steel manufacturers in China, and a Japanese company and a German company, helping Baosteel avoid huge compensation to foreign companies. Nowadays, Professor Huang Jin, Professor Xiao Yongping, Professor Guo Yujun, Professor Zhang Hui, Professor Qi Tong and other scholars have also been commissioned by the Supreme People’s Court and other lower levels of people’s courts, making outstanding contributions to improving the application of foreign laws in China’s judicial practice.

Clear Specialty

The Center can ascertain a wide range of foreign countries’ laws, such as English speaking countries, it also can ascertain the laws of countries such  as German, French, Spanish.

Good Reputation

Because of the deep strength, long history, affluent practices of the Center, the Center has established cordial cooperative relationships with many domestic courts and arbitration institutes,as well as international organizations and institutes such as UNIDROIT,Hague Conference on Private International Law, and has played an important part in the work of ascertainment of foreign laws in many foreign-related cases, achieving good social effects, which brings the Center good reputation in the field of ascertainment of foreign laws.

Affluent Practices

Before the set-up of the Center, as mentioned before, legal scholars of Wuhan University School of Law and Wuhan University Institute of International Law have already taken part in the ascertainment of foreign laws in the judicial practice. After the foundation of the Center, legal scholars of the Center have provided related government agencies, Hubei  Provincial Higher People’s Court, Wuhan Municipal Intermediate People’s Court, Wuhan Maritime Court and other courts with abundant legal advice as to the application of foreign laws in foreign-related cases.

From: Wuhan University Center of Ascertainment of Foreign Law