Micro blogs now popular way to follow Beijing courts

Using micro blogs to cover trials and explain complicated disputes has become a popular and major way to follow Beijing courts, an official of the capital's high court said on Wednesday.

Since October, all courts in Beijing have registered micro blog accounts on Sina Weibo, China's largest Twitter-like platform, while 52 judges have opened private accounts, said Wang Mingda, vice-president of Beijing High People's Court.

Every court makes full use of its micro blog to report important and interesting cases in the hope that residents, especially younger ones, can learn about the legal system and how hot issues in the judicial system are handled, Wang said.

"It's also a better way for the public to supervise court work. When residents leave messages on our micro blogs, our judges are required to answer as soon as possible," he said, adding that it is easier to interact with residents this way.

So far, Beijing courts have made more than 18,000 micro blog posts, attracting more than 3 million followers on the Internet, the high court said.