BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- When hearing cases, Chinese courts have been urged to search for similar cases in a database and draw upon their judgments, according to a document released by the top court on Tuesday.

The database, built under the oversight of the Supreme People's Court, comprises publicly available cases provided by the Court as guidance, as well as cases reviewed and approved by it for reference.

Its purpose is to aid courts at all levels and the public in searching, utilizing, studying, and researching cases.

Courts at all levels should look into the database, strictly abide by laws, judicial interpretations and regulative documents, and reference similar cases in the database to decide a ruling, said the top court.

The Court, however, clarified that the rationale and key arguments presented in the case judgments can be considered and referenced, but they should not serve as the basis for a ruling.

The database consists of criminal, civil and administrative cases as well as cases involving national compensation and the enforcement of court rulings. Enditem

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