Judicial reform critical for modernizing governance

Comprehensively deepening judicial reform is one of the major policy decisions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in the new era. It is both the cornerstone of all-round reform and the central pillar of advancing the rule of law. Reform is critical for improving the socialist judicial system with Chinese characteristics and modernizing China's governance system.

In the new era, China's judicial reform has focused sharply on enhancing judicial credibility. With the goal of establishing a fair, efficient and authoritative socialist judicial system, reform has rolled out comprehensive supporting measures while ensuring that the people feel fairness and justice in every judicial case.

Philosophy guides China's judicial reform in the new era. It begins with a people-centered approach, with fairness, transparency, efficiency, and authority as its core principles.

Justice is essential in judicial work. As Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, emphasized at a session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in February 2013, it is imperative to uphold justice to comprehensively advance the rule of law. Impartial justice is society's last line of defense. It ensures that infringed rights are protected, unlawful conduct is sanctioned and criminal activities are punished. If people cannot secure their legitimate rights through judicial procedures, the judicial system will lose credibility.

The law is meant to resolve disputes and clarify rights and obligations, while judicial rulings are intended to provide finality. If justice is compromised and public trust erodes, these functions cannot be fulfilled.

Judicial justice encompasses both substantive and procedural justice, as well as justice at the collective and individual levels. Judicial justice is regarded as an objective form of justice. Xi emphasized that efforts have been made to ensure that the people feel fairness and justice in each and every judicial case. His remark embodies the philosophy that emphasizes both objective and subjective justice, as well as collective and individual justice, thereby enriching the concept of judicial fairness with new dimensions.

Transparency plays a vital role in judicial justice. Judicial transparency is not only a requirement of judicial democracy but also an inherent demand of the judicial system itself. It enables public oversight of the judiciary, encourages fair handling of cases and helps prevent malpractices that may arise in opaque operations.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, efforts to enhance judicial transparency have accelerated significantly. The scope of information disclosed has continued to expand, methods of disclosure have been innovated and relevant mechanisms have been improved.

Judicial efficiency concerns not only the rational allocation of judicial resources but also the timely realization of fairness and justice. With the political, economic and social development in China, the volume of cases has increased, making the increase in judicial efficiency a major challenge for the authorities.

To enhance efficiency, it is essential to refine mechanisms for differentiating and streamlining case procedures while also improving the diversified dispute resolution system for social conflicts. As traditional case-handling approaches reach their limits, it is crucial to leverage technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence to empower the judiciary. This technological integration will help ensure that justice is not delayed.

Judicial credibility underpins judicial authority, and judicial authority reflects judicial credibility in action. Only when judicial organs exercise their powers independently and impartially in accordance with the law and judicial officers demonstrate competence and integrity, will judicial decisions carry persuasive force and earn the trust of the public.

Upholding judicial authority requires respecting the finality and binding effect of judicial adjudication and ensuring that legally effective judgments serve their fundamental purpose of resolving disputes and bringing closure to conflicts.

China's judicial system reform has prioritized four foundational initiatives: improving the classified management of judicial personnel, refining the judicial responsibility system, strengthening professional safeguards for judicial officers, and promoting the unified management of human, financial and material resources for local courts and procuratorates below the provincial level.

These reforms are critical for safeguarding the independent and impartial exercise of judicial authority in accordance with the law.

Refining the judicial responsibility system — including the responsibility mechanisms for presiding judges, collegial panels and prosecutors — clarifies the powers and duties of judges and prosecutors in case adjudication. With lifelong accountability for the cases they handle and strict scrutiny of wrongful judgments, this contributes to a well-defined, balanced and orderly operation of judicial authority.

Strengthening professional safeguards for judicial personnel involves special provisions — distinct from those for ordinary civil servants — regarding salaries, tenure, immunity, discipline and removal from office. These safeguards reflect the social dignity, professional nature and risks associated with judicial roles, and symbolize the elevated social status of judges and prosecutors among public servants.

Through persistent efforts, the judicial reform outlined by the CPC Central Committee has been effectively implemented, giving shape to a fair, efficient and authoritative socialist judicial system with Chinese characteristics. The public's sense of fulfillment and satisfaction with the judiciary has significantly increased, and the journey toward judicial modernization has grown more robust and steadfast.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.