The case stems from the defendant Chen Zhiwang who claimed to have obtained a doctorate degree from European University in Ireland. In June this year, the court asked him to produce the original diploma. He only submitted a copy of the certificate and was convicted of contempt of court.
The judge stated in the verdict that the defendant had multiple remedial opportunities, but he was unwilling to cooperate with the court and claimed that he had not given instructions to the lawyer. This was obviously a lot of excuse. Regarding the defendant’s claim that he lost the original certificate, the judge said that the focus was not whether the defendant made a mistake, but his unwillingness to abide by the court order and his attitude was unforgivable. Even an apology to the court would not help.
The judge mentioned that Gu Mingjun had filed no less than 10 civil lawsuits against the defendant since 2014. The judge knew that Gu Mingjun might have hatred towards the defendant, but this would not constitute a reason for pleading, nor was it an excuse for the defendant to contempt the court. The judge also stated that this case is related to the authenticity of the defendant’s academic qualifications. The defendant may be afraid of losing his professional qualifications and social status, and is bent on evading reality and violating court orders. However, this is not a reason for defense, and his contempt for the court is also detrimental to his reputation.
Regarding the issue of costs, the judge stated that Gu Ming hired Senior Counsel Yu Ruohai as a representative. However, the facts of the case were simple and there was no need to hire a senior counsel. In the end, the defendant was ordered to pay Gu Mingjun the cost of junior counsel, which was about 500,000 yuan. yuan.
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