公益诉讼,是指公民、社会团体、国家机关为了维护国家利益、社会公共利益,以自己的名义,向国家司法机关提起的诉讼。公益诉讼与普通民事诉讼或行政诉讼相对而言,一是公益诉讼的起诉主体具有广泛性和不特定性。公益诉讼的发起者可以与本案没有直接利害关系、任何关注自身长远利益以及社会利益和自身利益辩证关系的人,都可以提起公益诉讼。二是公益诉讼的目的是为了保护国家利益和社会公共利益。私益诉讼的目的,是为了维护个体或某个组织自身的合法权益。国家作为 Public interest litigation refers to the lawsuits filed by citizens, social groups and state organs against the national judicial authorities in the name of their own to safeguard the interests of the state and the public. Public interest litigation and ordinary civil litigation or administrative litigation relative terms, first, the prosecution of public interest litigation subject has a wide range and not specific. The initiator of public interest litigation can have no direct interest in the case and any person who pays close attention to his own long-term interests and the dialectical relationship between social interests and his own interests can bring public interest litigation. Second, the purpose of public interest litigation is to protect national interests and social public interests. The purpose of private litigation is to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of an individual or an organization. State as