Chinese courts asked to punish harshly

Chinese courts have been directed to hand out severe punishment for serious crimes so that the public can feel safer in everyday life.

Addressing the presidents of higher courts during a symposium Thursday, the Supreme People's Court's (SPC) president, Zhou Qiang, said harsh punishments should be handed down to those committing the crime of jeopardising state security, and other felonies, including homicide, robbery, offences involving explosions and mafia gang crimes.

People who spread fabricated information that causes panic and those who violate the lawful rights and interests of juveniles should also be penalised severely, he said.

Zhou also stressed harshly punishing food and drug safety related crimes, those who produce and sell fake and shoddy products, damage arable land and pollute the environment.

Ordering the courts at all levels to prevent and correct wrongly-judged cases, Zou said courts at all levels should carry out trials independently and guarantee the rights of lawyers.