Breakthroughs in Judicial Reform
- By Jiao Feng
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E-mail China Today, February 27, 2014
In 2013, China launched a series of impressive reforms in its judicial field. These included: deepening judicial publicity to guarantee people's rights to information and develop transparency; improving the judicial accountability system to ensure the independent exercise of jurisdiction and procuratorial power, letting the inquisitor judge and the adjudicator take charge; and abolishing the system of re-education through labor as well as improving laws on punishment and correction of crimes and delinquencies, thereby manifesting the judicial assurance of human rights. By means of these reforms, China's judicial system has realized new breakthroughs, providing strong support for the country to build a fair, efficient and authoritative socialist judiciary.
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| On August 24, 2013, the court carried out investigations on Bo Xilai, who was accused of bribe-taking, corruption and abuse of power. |
Breakthrough in Judicial Publicity
Judicial publicity is a significant symbol of a society operating under the rule of law.
In 2013 a series of publicity campaigns paved the way for judicial reform, demystifying China's legal system and making justice tangible for the public.
From August 22 to 26, Jinan Intermediate People's Court broadcast the hearing of the Bo Xilai case via its official microblog. The court released more than 150 postings amounting to nearly 160,000 words of verbal content and a number of photos, including exhibits from both prosecution and defense teams, cross-examination details and opinions from both sides. More than 100 million people followed the trial online. It was a case that drew worldwide attention. On September 16, the official microblog of bjgy.chinacourt.org, the website of Beijing's court, broadcast in real-time the key links of the case in July of a man who killed an infant girl, aged two, when he snatched her from her pram and threw her to the ground after an argument with the child's mother in Daxing District of Beijing. They included the court investigation, audio-visual material, the court debate and the final statement in 11 microblogs. In December, during the second trial of dispute between Qihoo 360 and Tencent, the Supreme People's Court broadcast the trial live via TV, radio and the Internet.
In addition to such trial broadcasts, a succession of measures to boost judicial publicity have been launched. On November 21, the Supreme People's Court opened its official microblog and WeChat account. Less than a week later, the court released opinions on building three platforms to open up the judicial process and release judgment documents and executive information. On the first day of 2014, the Provisions of the Supreme People's Court on the Online Issuance of Judgment Documents by People's Courts came into force, requiring judgment documents from more than 3,000 courts nationwide to be viewed by netizens. This has been regarded as a highlight of judicial publicity reform, embodying China's determination to further advance transparency in its legal system.
In fact, public security bodies at different levels have been required to publicize law enforcement and case handling information via official websites and short messages since the start of 2013. They have also provided inquiry services and regular information on law-and-order matters, fire and road traffic safety, and safety precautions. "Judicial publicity is an important means to prevent judicial corruption and promote judicial credibility. It is also a force to drive judicial fairness and efficiency," said Professor Cao Yisun of China University of Political Science and Law.
