Requirement for law enforcement recordings boosts transparency

A lawyer (right) offers legal advice to a citizen in Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua]

The State Council, China's Cabinet, has issued a guiding document to law enforcers nationwide, which requires them to make video and audio records of the whole process of their law enforcement. The State Council's office of legislative affairs has instructed local governments to pass regulations on the use and supervision of video and audio records in law enforcement. Southern Metropolis Daily comments:

Actually, a majority of law enforcers nationwide are already equipped with video recorders. But in practice, some law enforcers only use them for their own benefit: When the public raises any doubts about their enforcement of the law, they only show the public the video records that support their deeds, and tell them there is an incomplete record or no record when it might be damaging to them.

That further highlights the necessity of the State Council's guiding document, as it clearly and unambiguously requires law enforcers nationwide to make complete records of how they enforce the law. Those who fail to do so will be held responsible for that.

That's a great effort toward promoting and improving the rule of law. Only when the whole process of law enforcement is put before the camera will power be better regulated.

Transparency is an essential part of the rule of law and modern governance.

Besides, the requirement to make complete records also protects the law enforcers. With ample evidence, they will be able to prove their deeds are legal if any doubts are raised.

In June last year, the Ministry of Public Security issued a guiding document that requires police officers nationwide to make complete video and audio records of law enforcements in six situations. That proved quite effective in practice and many police officers said that it helped them.

Now the State Council's guiding document expands the responsibility of making video records to all law enforcers. We hope, with various levels of local governments echoing the guiding document and drafting their own regulations on law enforcement records, the rule of law will be further strengthened.