The Supreme People's Court (SPC) and the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) held the first work exchange and consultation meeting at the SPC headquarters on June 12, in a bid to deepen interaction and improve the quality and efficacy of judicial work. Zhang Jun, president of the SPC, and Prosecutor General of the SPP Ying Yong, attended and addressed the meeting.

The Supreme People's Court (SPC) and the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) hold the first work exchange and consultation meeting at the SPC headquarters on June 12, 2023. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Following this year's two sessions, the leading Party members' groups of the two departments initiated a pilot program to establish a work consultation mechanism. This mechanism involves an annual face-to-face exchange and consultation meeting aimed at implementing job allocation requirements, promoting coordination and mutual supervision, and collaboratively seeking resolutions for major issues in judicial work.

A total of 13 topics were submitted for discussion over this meeting, with in-depth communication and exchanges held on topics such as deepening the comprehensive reform of the judicial system, jointly improving the cross-regional centralized jurisdiction system, deepening the implementation of the plea leniency system, promoting compliance reform of involving enterprises, and improving the quality and efficiency of case handling. Consensus was reached on reinforcing coordination, unifying the application of law, and establishing a fair, efficient and authoritative judicial system. Meeting minutes with clear job allocation were also produced.

Zhang Jun, president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC) and secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of the SPC, addresses the meeting on June 12, 2023. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

This meeting is a step taken by the country's top judicial organs as a guide to establish coordination mechanisms between courts and procuratorates at the corresponding levels, according to Zhang. On top of the tasks recorded in the meeting minutes, Zhang called on improving and implementing a feedback mechanism to ensure that all tasks are accomplished in an efficient and timely manner. The consultation mechanism should be upheld to promote the solution of other difficulties involving the cooperation and mutual supervision between the two departments, so as to form consensus and unite forces in a wider scope, he said. He added that all courts should be more proactive in accepting supervision from procuratorial organs to facilitate a more regulated development of judicial trial work and court team building.

Ying Yong, prosecutor general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) and secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of the SPP, addresses the meeting on June 12, 2023. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Ying noted that the SPC and the SPP are judicial organs under the absolute leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and shoulder common political and legal responsibilities on the new journey, adding that the trial system and the procuratorial system are both important components of the socialist judicial system with Chinese characteristics. Holding work consultation meetings between the two organs is a major move to implement the Party's education campaign, a pragmatic action towards establishing a fair, efficient and authoritative socialist judicial system, and is of great significance to jointly promoting judicial justice and legal advancement, as well as to the Chinese path to modernization, he said. He emphasized the importance of deepening positive interaction between the two departments, reinforcing oversight on litigation work, strengthening coordination and cooperation, and improving the consultation mechanism to jointly solve difficulties that hinder the high-quality development of judicial work. 

President of the SPC Zhang Jun (right) and Prosecutor General of the SPP Ying Yong (middle) visit the smart court laboratory at the SPC headquarters on June 12, 2023. [Photo/court.gov.cn]