Judges in China are now using WeChat to conduct trials

WeChat: it’s used for talking with friends, buying movie tickets, and now, for testifying in court. Last month, a judge in eastern China’s Henan province began conducting some trials via the messaging app – and this may only be the beginning.

The trial used WeChat’s text and photo-sharing features, says the China Daily. The trial did not use WeChat video chat – or, as far as we know, any funny GIFs. A court spokesperson said that the decision to use WeChat was made as a time-saving move by the judge, as it provided more “flexibility and convenience” and eliminated the time-consuming act of bringing the defendant into court.

Chinese courts are generally much more focused on documents than on live testimony.

It may sound a bit weird to decide an entire court case via the same app that can be used to summon a masseuse or hail a cab, but this apparently isn’t quite as bizarre as it seems.

“Chinese courts are generally much more focused on documents than on live testimony, so they have in the past allowed people to testify by phone,” Dan Harris, China law expert and author of the China Law Blog, tells Tech in Asia.

Authorities have not yet released any information about the cases that have gone through WeChat trials, but the China Daily reports that the popular messaging app “most likely would be used for less controversial cases, especially administrative cases.”

Harris says that these practices aren’t unheard of in other countries, either – especially in situations where it would be impractical to have all the necessary parties in a room at the same time.

ಠ_ಠ O RLY?

“Some [courts] say that if both parties agree, it’s fine,” he says, giving examples of phoned-in testimony in cases in Alaska and South Korea, as well as internet-based video witnesses in cases in Russia and Urumqi, China.

There are some obvious flaws in relying too heavily on WeChat testimony, especially if it isn’t video-based. There is always the possibility that someone other than the person in question could be using the app, or that a lost phone could contain sensitive legal information. But those are apparently risks that at least some Chinese judges seem willing to take.

Another day, another part of Chinese life consumed by WeChat. It may only be a matter of time before a trial begins with a friend request and ends with a frowny emoticon.

See: The amazing ways WeChat is used in China