Public interest litigation plays prominent role in China's governance

Procuratorates across China have filed over 120,000 administrative public interest litigation cases and initiated more than 1,100 lawsuits against government departments since January, data from the Supreme People's Procuratorate showed Monday.

The legal officials also issued more than 79,000 procuratorial suggestions to administrative organs, Qiu Jinghui, deputy director of the SPP's Public Interest Litigation Procuratorial Department, told a Beijing press conference.

According to Qiu, the measures have prompted administrative bodies to standardize law enforcement procedures, strengthen accountability and curb administrative violations at the source.

Qiu said procuratorial organs have targeted public interest infringements stemming from the illegal exercise of power or inaction by administrative bodies. They have also leveraged a combination of supervision tools, including procuratorial suggestions and litigation, to promote the standardized operation of administrative power.

Centered on the needs of the public, administrative public interest litigation aids legal supervision, breaks down cross-regional and cross-departmental governance barriers, and is used in targeted action in areas such as ecological protection, food and drug safety, workplace safety, and the preservation of cultural relics. Qiu added that these efforts have fostered a collaborative mechanism to address long-standing governance issues.

Qiu said that procuratorial organs have adapted to evolving public interest protection demands and advanced the expansion and upgrading of relevant legal systems. Fourteen priority areas closely tied to public interests, including cultural relics protection, personal information security and barrier-free environment construction, have been incorporated into the work of those who handle statutory cases.

In addition, procuratorial organs have translated proven supervision practices into institutional norms through special campaigns and the release of guiding and typical cases. This has enriched the socialist rule of law system with Chinese characteristics and laid a more solid legal foundation for public interest protection, Qiu said.