China's four major law enforcement agencies called for a more cautious handling of death penalty cases in a joint document issued on Sunday.

 

The document, jointly issued by the Supreme People's Court, Supreme People's Procuratorate, Ministry of Public Security, and Ministry of Justice, underlined that the Supreme People's Court is authorized to exercise the final approval for death penalty cases.

 

It also asked law enforcement officials to strictly obey laws in identifying facts, collecting evidence, dealing with procedures, and adopting punishments.

 

In addition, some basic principles in handling death penalty cases have been specified in the document that are intended to punish criminals as well as protect their human rights.

 

For example, it prohibits police from parading suspects or criminals before the public for the purpose of humiliating them. The document also specifically bans law enforcement officials from questioning subjects by torture, extorting confessions, and any form of illegally collecting evidence.

 

Judges at different levels should pay more attention to the validity of evidence in handling death penalty cases, the document said.

 

It stressed that all law enforcement organs should cooperate with each other in dealing with such cases to ensure that every death sentence is made in a fair way.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 12, 2007)