Chapter II Jurisdiction

第二章 管 辖

Section 1 Jurisdiction by Forum Level

第一节 级别管辖

"Article 18 The basic people's courts shall have jurisdiction as courts of first instance over civil cases, unless otherwise provided in this Law."

第十八条 基层人民法院管辖第一审民事案件，但本法另有规定的除外。

Article 19 The intermediate people's courts shall have jurisdiction as courts of first instance over the following civil cases:

第十九条 中级人民法院管辖下列第一审民事案件：

(1) major cases involving foreign element;

（一）重大涉外案件；

(2) cases that have major impact on the area under their jurisdiction; and

（二）在本辖区有重大影响的案件；

(3) cases as determined by the Supreme People's Court to be under the jurisdiction of the intermediate people's courts.

（三）最高人民法院确定由中级人民法院管辖的案件。

Article 20 The high people's courts shall have jurisdiction as courts of first instance over civil cases that have major impact on the areas under their jurisdiction.

第二十条 高级人民法院管辖在本辖区有重大影响的第一审民事案件。

Article 21 The Supreme People's Court shall have jurisdiction as the court of first instance over the following civil cases:

第二十一条 最高人民法院管辖下列第一审民事案件：

(1) cases that have major impact on the whole country;

（一）在全国有重大影响的案件；

and (2) cases that the Supreme People's Court deems it should try.

（二）认为应当由本院审理的案件。

Section 2 Territorial Jurisdiction

第二节 地域管辖

"Article 22 A civil lawsuit brought against a citizen shall be under the jurisdiction of the people's court of the place where the defendant has his domicile; if the place of the defendant's domicile is different from that of his habitual residence, the lawsuit shall be under the jurisdiction of the people's court of the place of his habitual residence."

第二十二条 对公民提起的民事诉讼，由被告住所地人民法院管辖；被告住所地与经常居住地不一致的，由经常居住地人民法院管辖。

A civil lawsuit brought against a legal person or any other organization shall be under the jurisdiction of the people's court of the place where the defendant has his domicile.

对法人或者其他组织提起的民事诉讼，由被告住所地人民法院管辖。

"Where the domiciles or habitual residences of several defendants in the same lawsuit are in the areas under the jurisdiction of two or more people's courts, all of those people's courts shall have jurisdiction over the lawsuit."

同一诉讼的几个被告住所地、经常居住地在两个以上人民法院辖区的，各该人民法院都有管辖权。