The Supreme People's Court (SPC) held a symposium in Beijing on Nov 27 to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China's first juvenile court. 

The Supreme People's Court holds a symposium in Beijing on Nov 27 to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China's first juvenile court. The individuals and units of juvenile courts with outstanding performance were commended at the meeting. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Chen Wenqing, secretary of the Central Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and State Councilor Shen Yiqin, who is also director of the National Working Committee on Women and Children, attended the symposium. 

Sun Peijiang, president of the Changning Primary People's Court in Shanghai, Na Yanfang, secretary of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation, Wang Yi, secretary of the Secretariat of the Communist Youth League Central Committee, and Wang Jiayi, vice-minister of education, deliver speeches at the symposium. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Zhang Jun, president of the SPC, delivered a speech at the meeting, acknowledging efforts of judges in juvenile courts at all levels in minor-related judiciary.

They have safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of minors and played an active role in safeguarding the healthy growth of minors and in preventing and controlling minor-related crimes, he said. 

Zhang outlined key requirements for advancing the high-quality development of juvenile adjudication work, emphasizing the importance of integrating political perspective into the rule of law.

Judges should accurately understand the guiding principles of enacting laws concerning the protection of minors and the prevention of juvenile crimes, and implement a balanced approach towards punishment and leniency by adhering to the principle of "education, transformation and redemption" to effectively carry out juvenile justice work in the new era and conscientiously fulfill their responsibility to safeguard the healthy growth of juveniles, he said.

Zhang called for alignment between case handling and governance promotion, saying efforts should be made to decisively punish illegal acts that disrupt school order and strictly enforce the mandatory reporting system for potential crimes against minors.

He underlined judicial support for government authorities in fulfilling their responsibilities in accordance with the law in terms of protecting children in cyberspace, enhancing protection measures and improving support systems. 

Along with judicial protection, efforts by family, school, society, cyberspace and government departments should be integrated to effectively protect minors and prevent juvenile crimes, he added.

Meanwhile, judges in juvenile courts need to promote reform and innovation in their work, Zhang noted.

The principle of acting in the best interests of minors should be upheld, and the substantial integration of criminal, civil and administrative adjudication should be promoted, he said.

He urged efforts to utilize specialized mechanisms in juvenile justice such as roundtable hearings, social surveys and the presence of relevant adults in the hearings. He also called for enhancing the political integrity, professional skills and ethical standards of the juvenile justice workforce to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of adjudication work.

Deng Xiuming, executive vice-president of the SPC, read out a decision to commend individuals and units of juvenile courts for outstanding performance.