A senior judge of the high people's court in Zhejiang province has been suspended for meeting a woman, involved in a divorce hearing before him, on several occasions.

The Beijing-based Legal Daily said the director of civil suits surnamed Zhao violated a court regulation that forbids influencing a legal proceeding.

The newspaper did not say when Zhao was suspended.

A person of the publicity department of the high court confirmed the punishment yesterday, but declined to give more details.

Zhao was never accompanied by another court official during his meetings with the woman. He also failed to report a bankcard he received.

Zhao's suspension was announced at a meeting attended by all court directors of the province.

Judicial departments in the country have been trying to fight corruption and influencing court proceedings in recent years.

In Shanghai, judges and procurators pledge at the beginning of every year to work efficiently and be clean.

In March, the Zhejiang high people's court issued a regulation that no private contact with litigants, lawyers or any party involved in a legal case must take place.

All matters must be conducted in the presence of at least two court employees and recorded in writing.

The regulation also discourages the families of court employees from prying or making favorable comments about parties involved in legal proceedings.

Qi Qi, president of Zhejiang's high people's court, said in March everybody has connections, which is not bad, "it turns bad when the connection stands in the way of justice".

(China Daily September 11, 2008)