Zhang Jun, president of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) and a deputy to the National People’s Congress (NPC), voiced full support for three draft laws while participating in a deliberation with the Henan delegation at the fourth session of the 14th NPC on March 8. The draft laws under deliberation were the environmental code, the law on promoting ethnic unity and progress, and the law on national development planning.

Zhang noted that the environmental code, once adopted, will be China's second formal statutory code, after the Civil Code, which was adopted in 2020. The draft code reflects the country’s latest achievements in advancing the rule of law and ecological conservation, and responds to the public’s aspiration for a better living environment featuring blue skies, clear waters and clean land, he said. It embodies a people-centered development approach, and provides systematic and coordinated legal norms with distinct Chinese characteristics and contemporary relevance, Zhang said, adding that the code will play an important role in supporting high-quality development.

Zhang added that the compilation of the environmental code has helped raise public awareness of the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, further strengthening their understanding of green development and environmental protection. Opinion from various sectors was solicited during the drafting process, reflecting the full practice of whole-process people’s democracy, Zhang noted. As a member of the code’s compilation leadership group, the SPC conducted in-depth research, summarized judicial practices, and provided case resources and judicial rule resources to support the drafting process, he said.

Zhang stressed that the vitality of law lies in its implementation. The environmental code, once adopted, will raise new and higher requirements for courts in strengthening judicial protection of the environment, particularly strict ecological protection in accordance with the law and stronger systematic and comprehensive governance. The SPC has already made arrangements for courts nationwide to study and implement the code and to review, revise, improve and formulate relevant judicial interpretations, he added.

Once it is adopted at the fourth session of the 14th NPC, courts will earnestly implement the code, improve judicial adjudication mechanisms, and further strengthen adjudication of cases related to environment and resources, Zhang stated. Courts will perform their duties in a fair and efficient manner, contribute to pollution prevention and control, enhance ecological conservation, and promote green and low-carbon development, providing strong judicial support for harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature, he added.