Xi Jinping stresses judicial independence

BEIJING - Chinese leader Xi Jinping has called for efforts to ensure judicial and procuratorial organs exercise the judicial and procuratorial authority independently, fairly and in accordance with the law.

Xi, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, also called for scientific legislation, strict law enforcement and judicial justice, while presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Saturday.

Xi said judicial organs at all levels should give priority to resolving deep-rooted problems that harm judicial justice and cripple judicial capacity and make sure that litigants in every case can be treated with fairness and justice.

He called on judicial officials to keep in close touch with the public, improve judicial transparency, and live up to the people's expectations for judicial fairness and transparency.

He urged judicial staff to uphold justice for the people, improve work style, and resolve the difficulties of common people in initiating lawsuits.

He stressed that more efforts should be made to provide legal assistance for people in straitened circumstances.

Xi also called on administrative organs, as the main body in law implementation, to take the lead in strictly enforcing the law, and protect public interests, rights and interests of the people, as well as the social order.

Supervision over law enforcement should be strengthened, with any illegal interference to law enforcement eliminated, local and departmental protectionism prevented, and corruption penalized, Xi noted.

On legislation, Xi required that legislative planning be improved to highlight priorities and combine the making, amendment and annulment of laws.

The legislative mechanism and procedures should be enhanced, involving increased and orderly participation from the public and listening to the opinions of all parties, Xi said.

"In this way, the laws will accurately reflect the demands in social-economic development and better coordinate interest-based relationships," he added.

A socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, with the Constitution as the "commander" has taken shape in the country, and on the whole, there are laws to follow in every respect of society, Xi noted.

"This is a significant achievement that we have scored," he said.

Furthermore, Xi stressed that organizations and individuals must all act in conformity with the Constitution and laws.

Xi said that all citizens, social organizations and government agencies must exercise their rights or power, and fulfill their obligations in accordance with the Constitution and laws.

He called for public education on laws, cultivation of rule-of-law spirit and the promotion of a social environment in which all people abide by law and settle their problems by legal means.

Xi added the rule of law and the rule of virtue must go hand in hand, and the rule of law must be better observed in social management.

Additionally, Xi stressed CPC organizations at all levels should act in accordance with the Constitution and laws.

As the ruling party, the CPC should insist on governing by law, which is of great significance to promoting the rule of law in an all-around way, Xi said.

The leadership of the Party, people being masters of the country and the rule of law should be closely integrated, he added.

Leading cadres at various levels should take the lead in acting by law, and whether they can do it should be an important criterion in evaluation, Xi said.