2002年9月,最高人民法院发布了《最高人民法院关于审理涉及人民调解协议的民事案件的若干规定》,该司法解释已于2002年11月1日起施行。该解释明确了人民调解协议的性质、效力、可诉性、举证责任以及执行等问题。人民调解协议有利于减少当事人的诉讼负担,体现当事人的自由意思,维护有关当事人的团结,使民事纠纷能在短时间内合理解决,必须成为民事纠纷解决的新方式。 In September 2002, the Supreme People’s Court issued “Certain Provisions of the Supreme People’s Court on Trial of Civil Cases Involving the Agreement on People’s Mediation,” which came into effect on November 1, 2002. This interpretation clarifies the nature, validity, litigability, burden of proof and enforcement of the people’s mediation agreement. The agreement on people’s mediation helps to reduce litigation burden on the parties, reflects the parties’ free meanings, and maintains the unity of the parties concerned so that the civil disputes can be reasonably resolved within a short period of time and must become a new way of resolving civil disputes.