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Expert: China eyes more credible judiciary amid rule of law drive

Xinhua, March 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

The leadership's renewed promise to reform China's judicial system is a sign that its efforts will pick up speed this year, according to a law expert.@ Addressing a study session of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee's Political Bureau on deepening judicial reform on Tuesday, President Xi Jinping said measures must be put in place to boost public confidence in the judicial system, as their opinion was the ultimate gauge of the effectiveness of reform measures.

"The advancement of rule of law is impossible without a credible judicial system," said Zhang Yonghe, a jurist and executive director of the Center for Education and Study of Human Rights at the Southwest University of Political Science and Law.

"The central leadership wants to make breakthroughs to the realization of rule of law by reforming the judicial system," he said, adding that enhanced public confidence would be the most tangible result.

The reputation of the legal system has been sullied by injustice, miscarriages of justice, corruption and outside intervention. The approval rating of the judiciary has been dragged down by several high-profile wrongful convictions.

China accelerated its advancement of the rule of law after the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012. This was expedited further following the release of a blueprint on legal reform issued by the CPC Central Committee in October 2014.

Measures rolled out included the blacklisting and punishment of officials who interfere in cases, and the banning of prison attire in courtrooms.

In addition, two circuit courts were established by the Supreme People's Court in late January.

Zhang said that more detailed and targeted measures could help to win back public trust.

He did, however, warn of the looming deadline of 2020, when "rule of law should be fully implemented as a basic strategy and a law-based government should be basically functional."

"Introducing a reform framework is important, while putting detailed plans into practice is also vital," he said. Endi