Report on the Work of the Supreme People's Court (2014)
V. Carrying Out Judicial Reform, Intensify Supervision and Guidance, and Improving Judicial Performances
—— Reforming the trial operating mechanism. The SPC actively carried forward the reform of the jurisdiction operating mechanism, and the reform of litigation-related petition work mechanism. It cooperated with other organs to annul the system of re-education through labor, and explored to establish summary procedure for handling minor criminal cases. It guided to establish special tribunals in supply of judicial guarantee and services for the operation of Shanghai Free Trade Pilot Zone. It supported Hengqin of Zhuhai City and Qianhai of Shenzhen City to experiment with establishing new operating mode of courts. It carried forward standardization of sentencing, formulated guiding opinions on common crimes sentencing, and promoted open, transparent, fair and just sentencing.
—— Reinforcing the work of people's juror assessors. The SPC carried forward judicial democracy, and expedited channels that ensured the public to participate in and supervise judicial work according to law. The people's courts at various levels organized people's assessors to participate in the trial of 1.695 million cases, accounting for 73.2% of trials of first instance in common procedure. The SPC launched the Multiplication Program of people's assessors, and appointed 38,000 more new people's assessors. It standardized the modes and procedures governing people's jurors to participate in trials, enhanced training, and elevated people's juror capacity to fulfill their duties. It submitted a special report to the NPC Standing Committee on the work of people's assessors and earnestly implemented the deliberation opinion, to facilitate healthy development of people's assessors system.
—— Strengthening supervision guidance and judicial management. The SPC formulated opinions on carrying out justice for the people, enhancing judicial justice, and improving judicial credibility, supervised and guided local people's courts at various levels to improve trial quality and efficiency. It actively formulated and sorted out judicial interpretations, issued 28 judicial interpretations, which fully displayed the role of judicial interpretations, promoted reform and development, guaranteed people's rights and interests, and promoted social progress. The SPC also released 14 guiding cases, and unified judicial standards for the same type of cases. The SPC beefed up case quality assessment and trial limit management, standardized management of commutation and release on parole, strictly implemented the application conditions and procedures for temporarily serving a sentence outside prison, and promoted judicial fairness and efficiency. In total, 91.1% of those standing trial of first instance accepted judgments, and did 98.6% of those brought to trial of second instance.