The work report that the Supreme People's Court President Xiao Yang delivered during the recent National People's Congress session brought wide attention to the mushrooming of juvenile crime. In the past year, China dealt with 70,086 underage criminals, representing a 19.1 percent year-on-year increase.

China is now mulling a pilot program to better protect its teenagers. Under the program, selected medium-size and large cities would set up independent juvenile courts of justice, which will be more advanced and comprehensive than the present juvenile tribunals.

According to Shen Deyong, vice president of the Supreme People's Court, juvenile crime has been steadily rising in recent years. The age groups involved are also younger, while the violence involved and sophistication of the crimes committed are increasing.

In 1984 the first juvenile tribunal was set up in Shanghai by the Changning District People's Court to deal specially with teenage crimes. Now there are more than 2,400 juvenile tribunals nationwide, and more than 7,200 justices dealing with almost all juvenile crimes.

Since 2004 selected areas have been testing a community correction mechanism that aims at diverting and rehabilitating potential young criminals.

Shen believes that some of the terms and articles concerning judicial protection of juveniles are difficult to implement because of inadequate laws. A comprehensive, systematic mechanism must be created.

'The goal of promoting the judicial mechanism for juvenile protection is best served if we can formulate practicable and comprehensive laws. Furthermore, a coordinated and highly efficient mechanism should be developed to incorporate various parties, including the government, judicature, social organizations, communities, schools and families into this effort," Shen emphasized.

Some juvenile tribunals have begun to deal tentatively with civil and administrative cases involving underage parties. This will better safeguard the civil rights of teenagers.

Reportedly, amendments to the Law for the Protection of Minors -- originally formulated in 1991 -- have been included in the legislative agenda of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature. Additionally, a judicial interpretation concerning the handling of juvenile criminal cases is being drafted by the Supreme People's Court and is expected to come out this year.

(China.org.cn by Wind Gu, March 18, 2005)