PART ONE GENERAL PROVISIONS

第一编 总 则

"Chapter I The Aim, Scope of Application and Basic Principles"

第一章 任务、适用范围和基本原则

Article 1 The Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China is formulated on the basis of the Constitution and in the light of the experience and actual conditions of our country in the trial of civil cases.

第一条 中华人民共和国民事诉讼法以宪法为根据，结合我国民事审判工作的经验和实际情况制定。

"Article 2 The Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China aims to protect the exercise of the litigation rights of the parties and ensure the ascertaining of facts by the people's courts, distinguish right from wrong, apply the law correctly, try civil cases promptly, affirm civil rights and obligations, impose sanctions for civil wrongs, protect the lawful rights and interests of the parties, educate citizens to voluntarily abide by the law, maintain the social and economic order, and guarantee the smooth progress of the socialist construction."

第二条 中华人民共和国民事诉讼法的任务，是保护当事人行使诉讼权利，保证人民法院查明事实，分清是非，正确适用法律，及时审理民事案件，确认民事权利义务关系，制裁民事违法行为，保护当事人的合法权益，教育公民自觉遵守法律，维护社会秩序、经济秩序，保障社会主义建设事业顺利进行。

"Article 3 In dealing with civil litigation arising from disputes on property and personal relations between citizens, legal persons or other organizations and between the three of them, the people's courts shall apply the provisions of this Law."

第三条 人民法院受理公民之间、法人之间、其他组织之间以及他们相互之间因财产关系和人身关系提起的民事诉讼，适用本法的规定。

Article 4 Whoever engages in civil litigation within the territory of the People's Republic of China must abide by this Law.

第四条 凡在中华人民共和国领域内进行民事诉讼，必须遵守本法。

"Article 5 Aliens, stateless persons, foreign enterprises and organizations that bring suits or enter appearance in the people's courts shall have the same litigation rights and obligations as citizens, legal persons and other organizations of the People's Republic of China."

第五条 外国人、无国籍人、外国企业和组织在人民法院起诉、应诉，同中华人民共和国公民、法人和其他组织有同等的诉讼权利义务。

"If the courts of a foreign country impose restrictions on the civil litigation rights of the citizens, legal persons and other organizations of the People's Republic of China, the people's courts of the People's Republic of China shall follow the principle of reciprocity regarding the civil litigation rights of the citizens, enterprises and organizations of that foreign country."

外国法院对中华人民共和国公民、法人和其他组织的民事诉讼权利加以限制的，中华人民共和国人民法院对该国公民、企业和组织的民事诉讼权利，实行对等原则。

Article 6 The people's courts shall exercise judicial powers with respect to civil cases.

第六条 民事案件的审判权由人民法院行使。

"The people's courts shall try civil cases independently in accordance with the law, and shall be subject to no interference by any administrative1 organ, public organization or individual."

人民法院依照法律规定对民事案件独立进行审判，不受行政机关、社会团体和个人的干涉。

"Article 7 In trying civil cases, the people's courts must base themselves on facts and take the law as the criterion."

第七条 人民法院审理民事案件，必须以事实为根据，以法律为准绳。

"Article 8 The parties in civil litigation shall have equal litigation rights. The people's courts shall, in conducting the trials, safeguard their rights, facilitate their exercising the rights, and apply the law equally to them."

第八条 民事诉讼当事人有平等的诉讼权利。人民法院审理民事案件，应当保障和便利当事人行使诉讼权利，对当事人在适用法律上一律平等。

"Article 9 In trying civil cases, the people's courts shall conduct conciliation for the parties on a voluntary and lawful basis; if conciliation fails, judgments shall be rendered without delay."

第九条 人民法院审理民事案件，应当根据自愿和合法的原则进行调解；调解不成的，应当及时判决。

"Article 10 In trying civil cases, the people's courts shall, according to the provisions of the law, follow the systems of panel hearing, withdrawal1, public trial and the court of second instance being that of last instance."

第十条 人民法院审理民事案件，依照法律规定实行合议、回避、公开审判和两审终审制度。