On Feb 11, 2020, at the seventh court of the GZMC, Chen Jianhui, a villager from Lixi town of Yingde city of Guangdong province, after took his Crew Member of Vessel in Inland Waters Certificate and Seaman’s Record Book back, and received 10,000 RMB compensation through WeChat Pay at the spot from Chen Wenke, who had illegally detained his Certificate and the Book for more than four months. He withdrawn the suit at the court and wrote down the letter of thanks.

This case started last year. On June, 2019, hired by Chen Wenke as chief engineer on the vessel of “YueShaoGuanhuo 3618”, Chen Jianhui was injured by a propeller at work and was sent to Nanhai Hospital for treatment at the same day. Chen Wenke paid for all his medical expenses and gave compensation for 55,000 RMB. That should be the end of the story, but Chen Wenke detained his Crew Member of Vessel in Inland Waters Certificate and Seaman’s Record Book after the insurance claim settlement procedure on the ground that he had paid an extra salary for 4,000 RMB. One cannot work on board without certificate, so Chen Jianhui came to GZMC to file a case, claiming for the return of the Certificate and the Book and the loss for the unable working period.The case accepted and scheduled to hearing on March 4, 2020 and presiding by judge Xu Yuanping.

Judge Xu backed to his hometown Hubei province for the Spring Festival at the mid of the January but quarantined there for the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The case is in such an urgent. Although blocked in affected area, but judge Xu never relax his nerve on this case, he made phone call to told his trial team that they should contact Chen Wenke to make clearall the detail of the case on the first day returning to work, explain to him the legal risk of deliberately detaining others certificate and told him that he should return it as soon as possible no matter if there any other dispute with Chen Jianhui. After repeated contacts, Chen Wenke took the advice of the team and delivered the certificate to GZMC. But the amount of compensation required by Chen Jianhuifor retaining the certificate was not settled.

On the afternoon of Feb 10, Chen Jianhui told the team that in order to find a job early, he wants to come to GZMC to get his certificate back, and repeated the request on the nest day morning. After learning that, judge Xie Huicheng of the team,considering the risk of infection, asked the team use WeChat and telephone to meditate the dispute. Chief judge Xu, who quarantined in Hubei province, guide the judge assistant through telephone to reviewing the whole case and analysed the possible responsibilities of the two parties. Finally, reconciliation reached, Chen Wenke paid compensation of 10,000 RMBto Chen Jianhui through WeChat Pay, Chen Jianhuiwithdrawn the suit at the spot. The dispute was successfully resolved.

Epidemic is merciless, Judgesare merciful. Confronting with the outbreak of the virus, the judges of the Admiralty Division tie their heart with the people. Though being caught in epidemic area, judge Xu’s heart attach to trial. Admiralty Division had developed the thought of “unit as one” and judge assistant Zhang Rong undertaken voluntarily, they all do their best to safeguard people’s life securityand health and protect their legitimate rights and interests.