Chapter 332: Just to Promote the Law, That's Why We Launched This Bit of Litigation
Handong Provincial People's Procuratorate, colloquially referred to as the Provincial High People's Procuratorate.
Compared to associations like the Consumer Association, which are often constrained by instructions from various leaders, theoretically speaking, there are very few entities that can issue directives to the Provincial High People's Procuratorate.
However, Lawyer Tang's relationship with Handong's Procuratorate has always been strained.
The reason is simple: as a top criminal defense lawyer, whenever he takes a case, he finds himself opposing the Procuratorate—both sides are adversaries.
But now, Lawyer Tang has no choice but to come to the Procuratorate.
The law doesn't allow many entities to serve as plaintiffs in civil public interest litigation, especially concerning consumer-related public interest lawsuits. Apart from the Consumer Association, there's only the Procuratorate.
The Procuratorate can act as a plaintiff in any type of public interest litigation, which is an embodiment of its supervisory role.
In recent years, the Procuratorate has increasingly taken on public interest litigation, paving a new path for oversight after the abolition of anti-corruption and anti-malfeasance offices.
As usual, he went through security checks before registering his information—a routine procedure.
After registering his information, Lawyer Tang made his way to the reception window.
In earlier times, civil public interest litigation wasn't valued much by the Procuratorate—it was only later that the space for it was carved out.
Back when the "two antis" were still active, the Procuratorate's oversight was exceptionally strong; when prosecutorial recommendations were issued, they were enforced forcefully. But now, even the Supreme Procuratorate keeps issuing documents, demanding stricter enforcement of prosecutorial recommendations...
Shaking his head to dispel such random thoughts, Lawyer Tang began waiting in line.
Wearing a mask, no one recognized him, and he welcomed the peace and quiet.
After a considerable wait, it was finally his turn. At the window, the reception worker, Fang Feixia, smiled and said, "Hello, comrade, how can I help you?"
Lawyer Tang placed his suitcase on the window ledge, producing a resounding thud.
The noise was so loud that even people at other windows glanced over.
"Sorry, sorry, my mistake..."
Fang Feixia eyed the bulky suitcase and involuntarily swallowed before speaking, "What do you have in there? It's so heavy!"
"Oh, nothing much, just some materials. My name is Tang Fangjing, Director of Tengda Law Firm. I've come to discuss the lack of relevant public interest litigation in addressing monopolistic practices."
"Recently, I've uncovered issues of monopoly in the automotive sales sector, so I was wondering if the Procuratorate could step in and take action."
The reason for introducing himself upfront was simple: to ensure the other party would listen to him, take his suggestions seriously, and hear him out.
Otherwise, if he weren't Tang Fangjing, speaking boldly about giving suggestions to the Procuratorate here—well, let's see how many people would pay him any attention.
This is, after all, the Provincial High People's Procuratorate!
Faced with such a pragmatic situation, Lawyer Tang had no choice but to highlight his credentials first.
Inside the window, Fang Feixia immediately stood up upon hearing the name: "Tang Fangjing? Are you the Tang Lawyer from Tengda?"
Though she worked at the Procuratorate, it was true—many professionals within public security, judiciary, and law circles genuinely admired Lawyer Tang!
This respect stemmed from the bottom of their hearts, entirely unrelated to professional roles or affiliations.
Lawyer Tang nodded with a small smile and said, "That's me. So, comrade, about this matter..."
Realizing her momentary lapse in behavior, Fang Feixia hurriedly sat back down, though her excitement lingered. She hadn't expected to encounter the renowned Tang Lawyer today!
That moment within the blazing inferno, when Tang unwaveringly upheld justice and chastised his opponent, had become eternal.
The scene was so powerful that whenever Fang Feixia watched that video, she couldn't help but shed tears. What kind of strength was driving this man!
"Tang—cough—Tang Lawyer, you came today because of the monopoly issue in the automotive sales sector? The one that's been buzzing online lately?"
Although she worked for the Procuratorate, Fang Feixia was still human—and naturally, she browsed the internet. Lawyer Tang had stirred up quite a storm online in the last few days, and she had certainly noticed. She just hadn't expected him to bring the matter to the Procuratorate.
"Yes. My thought is for the Procuratorate to initiate a civil public interest lawsuit on this issue," Lawyer Tang explained his intention.
Upon hearing this, Fang Feixia furrowed her brows slightly and said, "Tang Lawyer, as far as I know, haven't you already organized netizens to jointly sue Qiangsheng Company?"
"Under such circumstances, do you think it would still be appropriate for us to file a public interest lawsuit?"
She quickly added, "Of course, it's not really up to me to decide, but given the current situation, wouldn't a public interest lawsuit seem redundant or unnecessary?"
Lawyer Tang chuckled and responded quickly, "Not at all—it has nothing to do with Qiangsheng Company."
"You've seen some online commentary about this, haven't you? Many people claim monopolies don't impact the lives of ordinary citizens. Some even argue that if they weren't aware this could be litigated, they wouldn't perceive any losses."
"So I was thinking of organizing an awareness campaign on monopolies—to help the public understand the harm they cause. Since Qiangsheng Company is already being sued, naturally, we won't target it again."
"But, there were five other car manufacturers penalized for monopoly practices back then. I thought... shouldn't justice be evenly distributed? Otherwise, Qiangsheng Company might feel it's unfair. Don't you think so, comrade?"
Fang Feixia was stunned. Despite stretching her imagination to keep up with Lawyer Tang's train of thought, she had genuinely not anticipated that he intended to go this far!
Five car manufacturers—for years, these companies dominated sales in Modu and even Handong. The implications were enormous.
Fang Feixia couldn't help but swallow hard again and ask, "Lawyer Tang, are you saying you want to sue all five car manufacturers at once?"