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Chinese man sues movie star for staring at him too intensely through the TV
He’s claiming “spiritual damage.”
NEW RULES IN China are making it way too easy to sue people, according to new figures.
And a prime example is the lawsuit filed by one man who claims the movie star Zhao Wei stared at him too intensely through his TV set.
The state-owned Legal Daily newspaper reports that the Shanghai man is alleging her stare caused him “spiritual damage.”
Reports say the litigation involves the prime-time TV show “Tiger Mom,” which debuted in May and centres on a couple’s differing approach to raising their daughter.
Zhao plays the big-eyed mother who relentlessly pushes her daughter’s development, while the father wants his child to have more freedom.
She’s one of China’s biggest and richest movie stars, and starred in director John Woo’s “Red Cliff.”
Shanghai Pudong New District Court confirmed the case, but a court official refused to say whether the court had accepted the case.
The “staring” lawsuit has highlighted widespread concerns that new regulations will give rise to more and more frivolous claims.
On 1 May, new rules went into force in China, making it more difficult for courts to reject lawsuits.
This has already led to an increase, with just over 1 million last month – 29% more than May 2014, according to the Supreme People’s Court.
“Previously, it was difficult for administrative cases, such as people suing governments, to be accepted,” said Li Heping, a lawyer in Beijing.
Gan Wen, deputy head of a case-filing chamber under the Supreme Court, said at a news conference this week that the Zhao Wei case was an example of citizens abusing their right to file lawsuits.
It’s not necessary to waste our judicial resources on cases like these.
Contains reporting by the Associated Press.
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