Courts promote equitable law enforcement

Xiong Xuanguo, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court, gave a speech at the "Assessment Meeting of the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010) on Tuesday. Following are excerpts:

Since the release of the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010), the Supreme People's Court has strictly implemented the tasks assigned by the plan, especially those aimed at resolving social contradictions and improving social management, as well as equitable and disinterested law enforcement.

In the last two years, the people's court has played a key role in maintaining social equality and justice, respecting and guaranteeing human rights in law.

First, the people's court strictly implements the policy of "tempering justice with mercy" to guarantee citizens' personal rights. In the two years of the plan, the people's courts nationwide concluded 1,546 million criminal cases of the first instance, 2,003 million criminals were sentenced and 2,205 people acquitted.

Second, the people's courts ensured citizens' well-being according to the law. In the two years the Supreme People's Court issued several judicial guidance documents to cope with the international financial crisis and serious natural disasters. The courts also try cases involving people's livelihoods to provide judicial guarantee to the development of human rights. In the two years the people's courts at all levels concluded 11.91 million civil law cases of the first instance.

Third, the courts actively propel reform of the judicial system and mechanism, and guarantee people's right to a fair trial. The Supreme People's Court expanded open trials to guarantee citizens' right to know, right of expression and right of supervision. It promoted the standardization of sentencing to guarantee fairness.

The courts moved to ensure defendants and their defending lawyers fully exercise the right to a defense, and strengthened state compensation trials.

Fourth, the people's courts reinforced the establishment of the system of people's assessors to guarantee people's right to participate and to supervise the judiciary. There are almost 80,000 people's assessors nationwide, approximately half the number of judges in local people's courts. In the two years of the plan, people's assessors participated in more than 1.5 million cases, which accounted for 32.44 percent of the overall cases processed in local people's courts.

Fifth, the people's courts strengthened judicial aid to guarantee the litigation rights of litigants in financial difficulty, approving more than half a million reductions, waivers or deferrals of more than 1.6 billion yuan in litigation fees.

Sixth, the people's courts reinforced the trial rights of juveniles and women. Currently there are 2,219 juvenile courts with more than 7,000 full-time and part-time judges nationwide.

China Daily

(China Daily 07/15/2011 page8)