The Chinese government issued a white paper [full text I special coverage] on the reform of the country's judicial system, reviewing the reform process and enumerating the reform goals.

The white paper on judicial reform in China. [Photo: China.org.cn]

Improving the protection of human rights is an important goal, said the white paper titled "Judicial Reform in China", noting that China's Criminal Procedure Law amended in 2012 included "respecting and protecting human rights."

Due to the profound changes in the judicial environment, judicial work in China is facing new situations and problems, according to the white paper issued by the State Council Information Office.

"China aims its judicial reform at strengthening its judicial organs' capability in maintaining social justice by optimizing the structure of the judicial organs and allocation of their functions and power, standardizing judicial acts, improving judicial proceedings, and enhancing judicial democracy and legal supervision," it says.

In terms of protecting human rights, effective measures are being taken to deter and prohibit extorting confessions by torture, better protect the rights of criminal suspects and defendants, and protect attorneys' rights to exercise their duties. Measures are also being taken to strictly control and prudently apply the death penalty.

Judicial reform, an important part of China's political system reform, remains a long and arduous task. The white paper vows continuous efforts to strengthen reform with a goal of establishing a "just, effective and authoritative socialist judicial system with Chinese characteristics."

An English version of the white paper has been published by the Foreign Languages Press in Beijing.

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