Judge refuses to accept lawsuit until guidelines are issued from top
A court in Lanzhou , Gansu province , has said it cannot accept a lawsuit over the Sanlu infant formula scandal until it knows whether authorities have issued guidelines on how to deal with the sensitive topic.
The issue has prompted concern about judicial independence.
Shanghai-based lawyer Dong Junming filed a 1 million yuan (HK$1.13 million) lawsuit in Lanzhou Intermediate Court on Monday on behalf of the parents of six-month-old Yi Kaixuan , who died of kidney failure on May 1. His parents blame his death on the Sanlu milk powder he consumed.
At least four infants have died and tens of thousands have fallen ill after drinking milk formula tainted by melamine, an industrial chemical that artificially raises protein levels.
Mr Dong was told by the court yesterday that it was a 'normal personal injury compensation case' but that further consultations with higher courts had to be conducted before a decision could be made whether to accept the case.
