Chinese courts handle over 4 million cases since 2003

BEIJING, Oct. 26 (Chinese media) -- Chinese courts have handled a

total of 4.24 million cases since 2003, an annual increase of 2.75percent on

average, the Supreme People's Court said Sunday.

Wang Shengjun, president of the Supreme People's

Court, submitted a report for review to the fifth session of the Standing

Committee of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature,

attended by top legislator Wu Bangguo.

The crack down on criminal activities, ranging from

murders to corruption, helped safeguard the national security and social

stability, he said, adding that 4.184 million criminals were punished over the

past five years.

In his report submitted to the session, Cao Jianming,

procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, said his department

had also enhanced supervision over the courts' ruling on criminal cases.

Between January 2003 to August this year, the

procuratorial offices of various levels lodged 17,104 appeals for criminal

retrial, which helped safeguard judicial justice, he said.

Association: Lawyers play bigger role

in China's politics

BEIJING, Oct. 26 (Chinese media) -- Law practitioners are

playing a bigger role in China's political life as more are becoming legislators

and political advisors.

While the first lawyer was elected deputy to the

National People's Congress (NPC), the top legislature, in 1988, China has now

519 lawyers as deputies to the People's Congress of various levels, and 2,845 as

members of various levels of the Chinese People's Political Consultative

Conference (CPPCC), a political advisory body, said Yu Ning, head of the

All-China Lawyers Association (ACLA). Full story