China's central government wants local officials to ensure local
court rulings are enforced and warns those who block their
implementation will be punished, according to a circular issued on
Sunday.
"The implementation of court rulings has become an important
element in assessing the performance of local governments," said
the circular, which was jointly issued by the Supreme People's
Court (SPC) and the Central Committee for Comprehensive Management
of Public Security.
Government departments that fail to enforce court rulings, or
government staff who evade, disturb or refuse to assist in the
enforcement, will face negative evaluation or administrative
investigation, it said.
The central government has evaluated the handling of court
rulings by all provincial governments since the beginning of
2006.
"The new requirements will address a longstanding enforcement
problem in the country, safeguard the authority of law and maintain
social stability," said a SPC spokesman, adding that the goal is to
end local protectionism.
(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2007)