China issues white paper on judicial reform of Chinese courts

Zhou Qiang, president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), delivers a report on the SPC's work during the third plenary meeting of the fourth session of China's 12th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 13, 2016.[Photo/Xinhua]

Contents

Preface

I. China's Court System and Reform Process

II. Ensuring the Independent and Fair Exercise of Adjudicative Power by People's Courts by Law

III. Strengthening the Mechanism of Judicial Protection of Human Rights

IV. Judicial Power Serving the People

V. Improving the Judicial Accountability System

VI. Deepening Judicial Openness

VII. Promoting Judicial Democracy

VIII. Promoting Specialized Trial and Flat Management

IX. Improving the Regularization, Specialization and Professionalization of Judicial personnel

X. Promoting Informatization of Courts

Conclusion

The rule by law is the fundamental method for administering the country and managing governmental affairs, while justice is a key cornerstone of the system of rule by law. The judicial organs apply laws and adjudicate cases according to legal powers and procedures, and perform the functions of settling disputes, punishing the evil and praising the good, granting remedies, setting rules and other statutory functions, to ensure the effective application of laws and safeguard social fairness and justice. The improvement of the judicial management system and the standardization of the exercise of judicial powers will help the judicial system play a more effective role in administering the country and managing governmental affairs by operation of law, and promote the modernization of governance system and capability in our country.

China's courts have been attaching great importance to judicial reform. Since 2013, on the background of deepening reform in an all-round way, by taking the fundamental realities of our country into consideration and keeping pace with the times, and with the aim to make the public experience fairness and justice in each judicial case, China's courts have been advancing judicial reform in an active, steady and practical manner and scored great achievements. Through deepening judicial reform, China will continuously improve the public credibility of the judiciary, promote judicial impartiality, and build a fair, efficient and authoritative socialist judicial system.