CPC Central Committee discusses increased efforts to fight corruption

World Today

The fight against corruption is likely to increase with more concrete measures being discussed at the plenary meeting of Central Committee of the Communist Party of China currently underway in Beijing. Since Chinese President Xi Jinping assumed leadership, the country’s crackdown on political corruption has intensified. In recent months, hundreds of officials have been fired and placed on trial. Ai Yang reports that the government is determined to continue its zero-tolerance policy towards graft.

Economic and Public Affairs commentator Einar Tangen joined CCTV America for more about China’s fight against political corruption.

CPC Central Committee discusses removing outside influences in court system

Members at the the current Central Committee of the Communist Party of China meeting are considering reforms that would simplify trial procedures, and more importantly, remove administrative interference in the legal system. CCTV America’s Tang Bo reports.

With growing legal awareness and enhanced transparency, courts in China are receiving more cases than ever. Last year, China’s local courts heard more than 14 million cases, 7.4 percent more than in 2012. Nearly 13 million cases had final rulings, 4.4 percent more than the previous year.

However, complicated administrative measures and too many administrative staff have prolonged legal processes, putting huge pressure on local courts and judges.

Pressure from outside influences have also affected the process, said Wang Lei, a professor at Peking University. Last year the CPC central committee unified the management of courts and procuratorates at the provincial level in personnel, financing, and resource distribution. This would prevent courts at the municipal level from being influenced by government or party committees at that level, and ensure an independent judicial system, Wang said.

“There are lots of external and unprofessional influences affecting the judicial procedure. For example, final rulings could be made in a court under influence from some government officials or high level administrative personnel who don’t have enough judicial experience. The current situation is judges don’t have enough power to decide on a verdict. That is why we need to make some changes,” Wang said.

The Supreme People’s Court has issued a jurisdiction reform plan, and it’s been piloted in a number of regions. In July, Shanghai initiated a program to make judges more accountable and curb government intervention in trials by creating a clear-cut division between judicial staff and administrative personnel.