1. To be responsible and report its work to the National People?s Congress and its Standing Committee, and accept the supervision of the NPC and its Standing Committee;

2. To put forward proposals to the NPC and its Standing Committee;

3. To exercise leadership over local and special people?s procuratorates, stipulate the policies and guidelines as well as lay out the work and tasks of prosecution;

4. To investigate cases of embezzlement, bribery, offense against the democratic rights of citizens, negligence of public duty and other criminal acts according to law. To offer leadership over local and special prosecution bodies in their investigation work;

5. To exercise the power of prosecution on serious criminal cases, approve the arrest and prosecution in cases of criminal activities handled by local and special procuratorates;

6. To exercise leadership over local and special procuratorates in the supervision of law enforcement in conducting prosecution of civil cases and economic disputes and administrative charges;

7. To lodge protests with the Supreme People?s Court over verdicts and decisions made by people?s courts at various levels which are already being enforced but are actually mistaken;

8. To examine decisions made by local and special procuratorates in the exercise of the rights of prosecution and correct any mistakes they have made;

9. To handle charges, appeals and reports made by citizens;

10. To handle reports on criminal activities such as embezzlement and bribery and conduct the work of reporting in all prosecution bodies in the country;

11. To suggest plans for the restructuring of the national prosecuting system and implement the plans; stipulate and guide the technical work, examination, authentication and review of material evidence of prosecution bodies in the country;

12. To offer judicial interpretations in the actual application of law in the work of prosecution;

13. To make stipulations, regulations and implementation rules on the work of prosecution;

14. To be responsible for the political work and bringing up of the staff in the nation?s prosecution bodies; to exercise leadership over local and special prosecution bodies in the running of procurators according to law; to stipulate the methods for the management of prosecuting clerks;

15. To take part in the management, examination and review of the chief and deputy chief procurators of special procuratorates and the procuratorates of the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government and propose to the Standing Committee of the National People?s Congress on the appointment or removal of these chief procurators; to suggest to the NPC Standing Committee on replacing the chief procurators, deputy chief procurators and procurators of the procuratorates at the subordinating levels;

16. To take part in the management of the organizational setup and the size of the staff in various prosecution bodies;

17. To organize and guide the education and training of the staff of prosecution bodies, make plans and provide guidance on the training centers and the cultivation of the teaching staff;

18. To plan and guide the work of finance and equipment in the nation?s prosecuting organs;

19. To organize and conduct exchanges with foreign counterparts and international judicial assistance; to review and approve the assistance on individual cases involving such areas of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan;

20. To exercise administration over officials of prosecuting organs and those in subordinate institutions; to review and approve the work and development plans of subordinate institutions; and

21. To be responsible for other jobs that should be handled by the Supreme People?s Procuratorate.

(China.org.cn May 20, 2003)