Deepening reform of the judiciary

To safeguard their integrity, courts and prosecutors should have power to make independent decisions in a professional system

With the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China approaching, governing the country by rule of law has become a hot topic. The question of how to further propel judicial reform and strengthen the rule of law is drawing nationwide attention.

Recently, the central government has pushed various judicial reform measures to standardize administrative procedures.

Unified management of the courts and procuratorates at and below the provincial level in personnel, financing and resource distribution are key elements of reform, with a view toward promoting the independent and fair exercise of judicial and prosecutorial powers under the law.

Generally, political and legal departments at all levels are supportive of reforms and expect the central government's measures to guarantee independent, fair exercise of authority.

But a few people still doubt whether unified management at the provincial level will improve judicial credibility; and some local courts and procuratorates doubt whether it will result in the isolation of the judicial system.

Some local party leaders are not comfortable with a scenario under which they would be unable to exercise power within the court and prosecutor's office system.

Therefore the orderly unification of management at the provincial level to guarantee judicial system reform can be undertaken both reasonably and promptly with concrete and feasible steps.

Judges and prosecutors should be allowed to pursue their careers in a professional, specialized and standardized environment. Thus there should be special design of career security in order to retain talent and keep the judicial system stable.