Chief justice vows to combat corruption
- Source: Global Times
- [07:59 March 12 2010]
- Comments
Wang, president of SPC, said nearly 800 court officials were punished for violating laws last year. Photo:Xinhua
China's Chief Justice Wang Shengjun said Thursday that courts will take steps to prevent abuse of judicial power.
The pledge came after Huang Songyou, former vice president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), was sentenced on January 19 to life imprisonment for taking bribes and embezzlement.
Huang was convicted of taking more than 3.9 million yuan ($574,000) in bribes from 2005 to 2008.
Wang, president of SPC, said nearly 800 court officials were punished for violating laws last year.
The SPC will "strengthen capacity building and act as a model for local courts," Wang told the nation's lawmakers at the annual parliament session.
Courts at all levels should "learn a lesson from the case of Huang Songyou" to find out deep-rooted problems on the management of judges and supervision of power, he said.
The SPC has appointed discipline supervisors in its 14 departments and more than 27,700 supervisors are watching over nearly 3,000 courts nationwide, Wang said.
Prosecutor-General Cao Jianming said in a separate report the same day that pros-ecutors investigated more than 2,700 judiciary workers suspected of graft and malpractice for personal gains last year.
Judiciary staff will be punished if they are found "meddling and intervening in court cases, giving bribes to law enforcement personnel, beating or verbally abusing petitioners and over-running timetables in enforcing court rulings," according to an SPC regulation.
Cao said in the report that efforts should be made to "resolutely punish corrupt acts in the judicial sector to purify the judicial team and safeguard integrity and justice."
An anti-gang crackdown in Chongqing since last year revealed widespread judicial corruption. About 200 judicial and public security officials were implicated.
Wen Qiang, former deputy police chief and head of the justice bureau of the city, stood trial last month for allegedly raping, taking about 15 million yuan ($2.2 million) in bribes for protecting criminal gangs, and owning a huge amount of unexplainable assets.
Xinhua – Global Times
