A Chinese legislative official said Wednesday that the top lawmaking body would speed up legislation on "education and correction of illegal acts" this year in an effort to "reform and standardize" the country's reeducation through labor system.

The draft law on education and correction of illegal acts is listed in this year's legislation plan, said Li Fei, deputy director of the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, while speaking on the sidelines of the annual parliament session.

He said the drafting of the law has taken several years and "it is also part of the country's judicial reform."

The law mainly targets illegal acts of repeat offenders, who refuse to follow the law despite receiving repeated warnings but their acts are not serious enough to be punished by the Criminal Law, Li said.

The new law aims to change the subject's illegal acts through education and rectification, so as to reduce and prevent crimes and maintain social order, he said.

Li said the law is based upon China's conditions and is consistent with relevant international conventions.

(Xinhua News Agency March 11, 2010)