Still judging live-streaming? Even judges live-stream

Live-streaming has not spared judges either. Just last month, a group of Chinese judges were seen streaming live from various studios as they sold, among other things, a forest comprising of 1,088 trees, a sea-facing apartment at a 56 percent discount and a thick gold chain that once belonged to a gang lord.

As questions from viewers rolled up the screens, the judges promptly answered them, the power of the high office they hold never once leaving them. "I'm not an agent. Our court doesn't sell goods. It's all from others."

And once they had made their point, the salesman in them came forward. "Not enough money? Please choose another one. No, postage is not included."

"Sorry, no refund."

After 64 competitive biddings, the beach home went for 4.51 million yuan ($658,769).

"Some house owners have gone missing," a judge from Fuyang District People's Court in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, announced, the poker-faced introduction amusing many viewers.

The Hongqi District People's Court in Xinxiang city of Henan province live-streamed the entire process of a house being vacated, right from the moment the judge began removing X-shaped seals from the door.

While apartments and cars were the most common items on sale, some of the items up for auction had to do with the geography of the place. So, the Nanguan District People's Court in Changchun, where the average temperature in winter is -20 C, was seen auctioning 30 mink coats.

A judge, from Qinhuai District People's Court in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, herself posed in clothes seized from a bankrupt clothing firm and managed to sell 500 pieces in the sale. The raised money helped pay off debts, as with all other auctions by judges.

This transformation of judges, from doing serious things to becoming salespersons, is what is drawing many to such online auctions.

The live-streaming sale raked in 100 million yuan within an hour at the Ningbo Intermediate People's Court in Zhejiang.

Ever since the first online court auction was made in 2012, online judicial auction, which makes it more transparent and effective, was prioritized in 2016.

"The purpose of live-streaming court auction is not merely to sell goods, but to show the open and normative judicial procedure with equity and justice," said Jin Shou, a judge from Ningbo Intermediate People's Court.