The war on judicial corruption is the most urgent work before the courts, Chief Justice Wang Shengjun said at a two-day work conference in Beijing that ended yesterday.

"The fight against corruption is decisive to the undertakings of the people's courts," Wang said at?a national work conference on team construction in Beijing that ended yesterday.

"The fight against corruption is decisive to the undertakings of the people's courts," Wang said at the national conference on team construction attended by presidents of regional higher courts.

"We have to fully understand that the corruption uncovered in some courts and places is not simply isolated phenomena. The battle against corruption will be arduous, complicated and long-term," said Wang, president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC).

Last year, a total of 712 court staff members were investigated and punished, including 105 who were found to be criminally liable.

"Most violators were from trials or enforcement departments, and the number of city-level court officials and above remained high," said Wang at the conference, adding that "they usually abused their power for money or property."

The top judge said Chinese courts will try to prevent corruption, uncover problems and, when corruption is found, impose stricter penalties.

He said education was the first step and called for an improvement in "court staff's consciousness in using their judicial power for people's benefits instead of their own good".

Starting in the second half of the year, the SPC will finish training court chiefs at city-, county- and district-level, SPC Executive Vice-President Shen Deyong told the conference.

Wang said examples of both good and bad practices will be used to encourage and warn judges.

Wang also ordered leading court officials and judges to listen to work reports, analyze case handling and closely monitor the application of discretion. Inspection tours will also be increased.

"Senior officials should adjust the positions of those unsuitable for current jobs, and problems should be fixed at the first opportunity."

A recent order issued by the SPC said judges and court employees could lose their jobs or face criminal charges if they take gifts from parties involved in cases. Personnels are also forbidden from having a commercial relationship with lawyers, or attempting to influence cases being handled by others, it said in a statement.

Court staff must not show favoritism when ruling on cases, especially those involving appraisals and auctions, and are forbidden from leaking details of trials, it said.

The SPC and all regional high courts have set up 24-hour hotlines for people to report violations.

"We must attentively treat every report, make timely investigations and announce the results to the public as soon as possible," Wang said.

Courts are under pressure to deal with corruption following several high profile cases.

Former SPC vice-president Huang Songyou was removed last October for allegedly taking bribes; the case remains under investigation. He was the highest-ranking judicial official to be sacked on corruption charges since 1949.

Ren Jin, a professor with National School of Administration, lauded the efforts "which will forcefully push the courts' fight against corruption".

"The public should show more patience and be confident with the country's judicial system," Ren said.

(China Daily May 1, 2009)