Case in point for rule of law

Other Views

Reports say deficiencies in the case were found in 2005, after which higher judiciary leaders unambiguously admitted the death sentence was wrong. But a retrial is still to come nine years later. Justice is late. While some might say it's better late than never, we expect it to be punctual next time so that another innocent life won't be lost.

Chongqing Times, Oct 31

Insiders say that almost all the officials who "contributed" to the case were promoted for being "highly efficient"; if a retrial found they wrongly sentenced an innocent person to death, they might receive penalties and that's what makes a retrial so difficult. Are officials' faces and positions more important than a citizen's life? We need to shut power in cage to break such absurd logic.

gxnews.com.cn, Oct 31

'No one can be his own judge." That is generally accepted knowledge, but in China's judicial practice they always let the same court do a retrial when any problems are found in a case; that's one of the key reasons why many wrongful cases cannot be righted. This time we hope the Supreme People's Court will be innovative and assign the case to some other court to make sure it is neutral.

rednet.cn, Oct 31

It is good news that this case sees hope of being corrected; too many such cases have happened in China and they have damaged the creditability of the judicial system. If the case is found wrong, those who abused their power by executing an innocent person should receive their deserved penalty, so that the judiciary can regain part of the public's trust.

xwh.cn, Oct 31

Who is responsible for the wrong verdict? In 1996, when the 18-year-old Qoγsiletu was sentenced to death, there was a "severe crackdown" in which the death sentence could be issued through simple procedures and a second trial was merely a sideshow. Such folly must never be repeated and no more lives be wrongly taken.

zjjzx.cn, Nov 3