Case of Zhao Wei being sued for causing ‘spiritual damage’ raises fresh concerns over frivolous lawsuits in China

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

A Chinese man is trying to sue superstar actor Zhao Wei for staring at him too intensely through his TV set, causing “spiritual damage”.

The man said the damage occurred during the primetime show Tiger Mom, the Legal Daily reported. Zhao Wei, one of China’s most famous actors, stars in the hit drama about a divided couple’s struggle to raise their daughter.

The Shanghai Pudong new district court refused to state whether it had accepted the case, but an official criticised the lawsuit, saying: “It’s not necessary to waste our judicial resources on cases like these.”



The case has raised fresh concerns over frivolous lawsuits in China, after regulations making it more difficult for courts to reject claims took effect on 1 May. Courts must now provide clearly stated reasons for rejection and citizens have the right to appeal the decisions.

The change has lead to a 29% increase in cases compared with the same period last year, to just over a million cases, according to the supreme people’s court.



The new registration system was implemented to end “obstructive behaviour by courts and officials meddling in cases”, but the Zhao case has been cited as an example of citizens abusing their right to file lawsuits.

