New rules laid down for Chinese prosecutors

Amid deepening judicial reform designed to ensure justice, Chinese authorities have set out new rules for prosecutors who neglect their duties or conduct malpractice that results in major case defects, the media reported on Tuesday.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) on Monday issued a judicial mandate to further clarify and standardise prosecutors' legal responsibilities and punishments "in a bid to ensure fairness" of the judicial system, SPP spokeswoman Xiao Wei said.

According to the new rules, prosecutors at all levels will assume legal responsibility for the quality of the cases they have handled, the China Daily reported.

Xiao said that "if prosecutors violate the regulations on purpose, abuse power or fail to assume supervision duties, resulting in wrongful court judgments or other serious consequences, they will assume legal responsibilities, including being disciplined or even facing criminal charges".

The rules stipulate that if prosecutors violate laws in order to indulge the suspects and cover their crimes, destroy or fabricate evidence, or even threaten and torture suspects to obtain confessions, they will assume legal responsibilities, such as discipline or criminal charges, said Wang Guanghui, director of the SPP's judicial reform office.

Additionally, if they conduct malpractice by knowingly using illegal evidence offered by police, illegally detain and prosecute suspects, or cause them to act in collusion to change confessions, they will be subject to legal punishments, he added.