An undated photo shows the Second Circuit Court of the Supreme People's Court in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province. [Photo: epaper.syd.com.cn]

One of China's two pioneering circuit courts has designated 11 city-level courts to be sub-circuit courts, bringing the system one step closer to the people, according to China's Supreme People's Court (SPC).

The Second SPC Circuit Court in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, was established on Jan. 31. Its circuit covers three northeastern provinces -- Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning.

It named 11 courts sub-circuit courts, including intermediate courts in the three major cities of Harbin, Changchun and Dalian.

The sub-circuit courts will help address inter-city disputes in the same province, while trans-provincial cases will be handled by the Second SPC Circuit Court.

China's first SPC circuit court was established this year in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Circuit courts are a crucial step in China's judicial reform. They will facilitate the filing of inter-provincial cases and prevent local-government intervention.

They will also free up the SPC headquarters to concentrate on judicial policies and more complex cases.