Chapter V Participants in Proceedings　Section 1 Parties

第五章 诉讼参加人 第一节 当事人

"Article 49 Any citizen, legal person and any other organization may become a party to a civil action."

第四十九条 公民、法人和其他组织可以作为民事诉讼的当事人。

Legal persons shall be represented by their legal representatives in the litigation.

法人由其法定代表人进行诉讼。

Other organizations shall be represented by their principal heads in the proceedings.

其他组织由其主要负责人进行诉讼。

"Article 50 Parties to an action shall have the right to appoint agents, apply for withdrawals, collect and provide evidence, proffer arguments, request conciliation, file an appeal and apply for execution."

第五十条 当事人有权委托代理人，提出回避申请，收集、提供证据，进行辩论，请求调解，提起上诉，申请执行。

Parties to an action may have access to materials pertaining to the case and make copies thereof and other legal documents pertaining to the case.

当事人可以查阅本案有关材料，并可以复制本案有关材料和法律文书。

The scope of and rules for consulting and making copies of them shall be specified by the Supreme People's Court.

查阅、复制本案有关材料的范围和办法由最高人民法院规定。

"Parties to an action must exercise their litigation rights in accordance with the law, observe the procedures and carry out legally effective written judgments or orders and conciliation statements."

当事人必须依法行使诉讼权利，遵守诉讼秩序，履行发生法律效力的判决书、裁定书和调解书。

Article 51 The two parties may reach a compromise of their own accord.

第五十一条 双方当事人可以自行和解。

Article 52 The plaintiff may relinquish or modify his claims.

第五十二条 原告可以放弃或者变更诉讼请求。

The defendant may admit or rebut the claims and shall have the right to file counterclaims.

被告可以承认或者反驳诉讼请求，有权提起反诉。

"Article 53 When one party or both parties consist of two or more than two persons, their object of action being the same or of the same category and the people's court considers that, with the consent of the parties, the action can be tried combined, it is a joint action."

第五十三条 当事人一方或者双方为二人以上，其诉讼标的是共同的，或者诉讼标的是同一种类、人民法院认为可以合并审理并经当事人同意的，为共同诉讼。

"If a party of two or more persons to a joint action have common rights and obligations with respect to the object of action and the act of any one of them is recognized by the others of the party, such an act shall be valid for all the rest of the party; "

共同诉讼的一方当事人对诉讼标的有共同权利义务的，其中一人的诉讼行为经其他共同诉讼人承认，对其他共同诉讼人发生效力；

"if a party of two or more persons have no common rights and obligations with respect to the object of action, the act of any one of them shall not be valid for the rest."

对诉讼标的没有共同权利义务的，其中一人的诉讼行为对其他共同诉讼人不发生效力。

"Article 54 If the persons comprising a party to a joint action is large in number, the party may elect representatives from among themselves to act for them in the litigation. "

第五十四条 当事人一方人数众多的共同诉讼，可以由当事人推选代表人进行诉讼。

"The acts of such representatives in the litigation shall be valid for the party they represent. However, modification or waiver of claims or admission of the claims of the other party or pursuing a compromise with the other party by the representatives shall be subject to the consent of the party they represent."

代表人的诉讼行为对其所代表的当事人发生效力，但代表人变更、放弃诉讼请求或者承认对方当事人的诉讼请求，进行和解，必须经被代表的当事人同意。