Government Resolves Controversy in Judicial Interpretation o

11:16: Dec-16, 20 GMT

Shen Chunyao, Chairman of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), on December 24, 2017, delivered a report to the standing committee. During the report, Shen listed 10 cases in which the NPC had requested relevant departments to revise or abolish incorrect clauses in laws or regulations. Resolving the controversy in the 24th judicial interpretation of the Marriage Law was one of the 10 cases.

In recent years, many people have called for the abolition of the 24th judicial interpretation of the . The Supreme People's Court (SPC) published a supplemental provision on the judicial interpretations of the Marriage Law on February 28, 2017. In that provision, SPC stipulated that individuals did not have to pay off their partner's 

During the 12th NPC's fifth session, 45 NPC representatives called for a review of the 24th judicial interpretation of the Marriage Law. The SPC replied to the request in August 2017. The SPC stated that a debt would be identified as a common obligation only if the debt was taken on for the family's use; otherwise, it should be identified as an individual debt. Family life use included daily home life and the family's production and operating activities.