China ensures independent, fair use of judicial authority: CPC

BEIJING - China moves to ensure lawful, independent and fair use of its judicial and procuratorial authority in order to guarantee "unified and accurate law implementation," said a key policy document of the Communist Party of China (CPC) published on Friday.

The system for judicial administration will be reformed, according to the decision on major issues concerning comprehensively deepening reforms, approved by the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee upon its conclusion on Tuesday.

Local courts and procuratorates below the provincial level should have their personnel and property under unified management, the document said, while calling for a judicial jurisdiction system which is "relatively separate" from the administrative division.

China also will improve the operation mechanism for judicial power by optimizing the allocation of judicial authority, strengthening a mechanism for judicial power to cooperate and restrict each other, and enhancing legal and social supervision of judicial activities, it said.

The country will reform the judicial committee system and improve the responsibility system of presiding judges and collegial panel in order to let those who hear cases judge and shoulder responsibilities, the document said.

Functions of all levels of courts should be clarified and their supervisory relationship regarding trials should be standardized, it said.

The document calls for openness of trials and procuratorial affairs, such as recording the entire process of court trials, enhancing the reasoning of legal documents and disclosing judgement documents.

It orders to strictly regulate procedures for commutation, conditional release and medical parole and strengthen supervision.

The systems of people's juries and people's supervisors should be extended to broaden channels for the masses to orderly participate in justice, the document added.

China will also build a judicial personnel management system that respects its professional characteristics and improve a mechanism for recruitment, exchanges and selection of judges, prosecutors and police, it said, adding it will improve the classified management system for judicial staff and strengthen their job security.