The Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) has released a series of typical cases of public interest litigation for special equipment safety in an effort to strengthen supervision over work safety risks in key industries and areas. It aims to guide public interest litigation departments of procuratorial authorities at all levels to fully utilize their functions in preventing and mitigating major work safety risks from the source, effectively curb serious and major accidents, and contribute to advancing the Peaceful China Initiative.
From January 2023 to March 2025, procuratorial authorities nationwide filed 2,174 cases of public interest litigation involving special equipment safety, with seven of them brought to court. The 10 newly released typical cases involve various types of special equipment, including elevators, boilers, lifting machinery, pressure vessels and large amusement facilities, spanning production, operation, use, inspection and testing.
In handling such cases, procuratorates adhere to the principle of preemptive intervention and preventive governance. For instance, the Zhejiang Provincial People's Procuratorate has established a digital supervision model that identified over 300,000 pieces of abnormal information related to elevator maintenance, such as falsified, overdue, or unauthorized maintenance, prompting administrative authorities to initiate 154 enforcement cases against violating enterprises.
Installing elevators in old residential communities is a key component of urban renovation efforts, directly addressing the accessibility challenges faced by residents, especially the elderly, in moving between floors. Focusing on this issue, the Sichuan Provincial People's Procuratorate launched province-wide efforts to address gaps in safety supervision during elevator installation and use. Procuratorial authorities in the province's 10 cities and prefectures, including Chengdu, Dazhou, Deyang, Nanchong, and Luzhou, have actively implemented the directives of the provincial procuratorate, urging relevant departments to enhance supervision over elevator safety.
The SPP's Public Interest Litigation Procuratorial Department stated that in the next step, procuratorial authorities will closely monitor safety risks in special equipment, such as elevators, large amusement facilities, lifting machinery, and pressure vessels, which are closely related to the well-being of the people and economic development. They will uphold the constitutional position of legal oversight, fully leverage their role of public interest litigation, intensify their efforts in handling cases, and effectively serve the overall economic and social development.
