China is releasing its first White Paper on judicial reform. The document covers the progress and achievements made in the past 15 years.

The State Council Information Office is now holding a press conference to release the White Paper and explain its contents. Jiang Wei, head of the Office of the Central Leading Group for Judicial Reform, will brief the press.

China has reforming its judicial system by enhancing supervision of the judicial and law enforcement organs and adopting a more human approach and person-centered care for both convicts and victims.

In March 2010, Chinese authorities issued guidelines on the management of detention centers to better protect the rights of detainees and reduce second-time crimes through enhanced education. The guidelines also banned law enforcement personnel from seizing or confiscating the property of detainees. It aims to protect detainees from insult, corporal punishment or maltreatment.

On October 1st, 2010, two documents that instruct judges on uniform procedures for sentencing were put into use in all Chinese courts. The directive was a major reform of the country’s legal system regarding criminal prosecution. According to the new procedures, advice on penalty measurements from prosecutors were introduced. This includes the types and scopes of punishment and the rules for implementation.

Also, the courts are allowed to organize public prosecutors, the parties involved, their defenders and legal representatives, and to offer their own advice on penalties so as to avoid arbitrary sentences. The move had positive effects as the rate of appeals dropped significantly, according to the Supreme People’s Court.

Figures from the Ministry of Justice show that the central budget for legal aid centers increased from 100 million yuan in 2010 to 200 million yuan in 2011.