Xi asks Party to support independent judiciary   

習近平：把政法工作擺到經濟社會發展全局中謀劃

中央政法工作會議20日在京召開。中共中央總書記、國家主席、中央軍委主席習近平近日就政法工作作出重要指示強調，新形勢下，政法機關任務更重，人民群眾要求更高。希望全國政法機關主動適應新形勢，增強工作前瞻性，有效防控各類風險，履行好維護國家安全和社會安定的重大責任。 [查看全文]

President Xi Jinping has ordered Party departments to support judges and prosecutors to exercise their duties independently.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks in a written instruction on political and legal work.

The central conference on political and legal work was convened in Beijing Tuesday.

Party committees at all levels should set an example of abiding by the law, he wrote.

They should enable law enforcement agencies and judicial departments to work independently according to the Constitution and laws and "create a favorable environment" for them to do so, he wrote.

Meanwhile, the president noted that party committees should improve their leadership in judicial affairs, appointing qualified officials to take the lead, raising their political awareness and ensuring their integrity.

Officials in law enforcement agencies and judicial departments should be loyal to the Party, to the state and the people, he wrote.

The president stressed management and supervision of the police and ordered them to strictly follow Party discipline.

He also strongly warned officials in law enforcement agencies and judicial departments against using public power for personal interest and other misconduct.

Meng Jianzhu, head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, delivered Xi's instruction to the meeting.

A statement issued after the meeting said officials will try to be more proactive, law-abiding, efficient and open while using more information technology in their work. They pledged to advance the judicial reform, identify and control social security risks.

An October CPC session outlined legal reform that stressed the supreme authority of the Constitution and promised wide ranging changes to the judicial system.

The plan includes ensuring the independence of courts and prosecutors, and rules to control intervention in court cases by senior officials.