The Supreme People's Court (SPC) has done the right thing by deciding to sort out petitions regarding lawsuits against local governments. Such action, expected to last until the end of the year, has been long overdue.

The top judicial organ has put the finger on the pie as far as dealing with public angst over irresponsible or indifferent local governments is concerned.

High courts at all levels are required to register such petitions and send them over to the SPC by the end of June. The number of such petitions has been increasing rapidly over the years.

In the event, SPC Vice-President Jiang Bixin's stance that "maintaining political stability" should never be used as an excuse to sidestep supervision over governments by judicial departments is courageous.

There is an incorrect belief that governments should never be allowed to lose in administrative lawsuits. Jiang stressed that such false assumptions be abandoned.

He has encouraged courts at all levels to deal strictly with illicit administrative decisions and never give in to illegal interference by the respective government departments.

This is absolutely the right thing to do. Maintaining stability at the expense of fairness and justice is like quenching thirst by drinking poisoned water.

If individuals have no chance of prevailing over the government in a just cause, it not only is a serious infringement of human rights but also a case of tolerating bad governance.

This will undermine public confidence in government, thus affecting its stability.

The SPC is just doing the right thing.