Domestic violence: Courts would be required to hear requests for protection by victims of domestic violence and to make a determination within 48 hours, under China's first draft law covering domestic violence. (Photo/China Daily)
Some prisoners excluded
The range of prisoners who can be freed by the special amnesty that was submitted to China's top legislature on Monday is strictly in line with the law and fully takes into account those who may pose a risk to society after their release, judicial experts said.
Under the draft decision on the special amnesty, criminals who participated in wars to safeguard national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity after the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949 will be set free, but prisoners found guilty of some serious crimes are excluded.
The serious crimes cover corruption, bribery, homicide, rape, robbery, kidnap, arson, explosions and use of dangerous substances such as radioactive materials, the proposal said.
Meanwhile, recidivists, inmates who were the principal criminals in gang-related crimes, or those whose conviction is related to terrorism and damaging to national security will also be excluded from the amnesty.
Chu Huaizhi, a law professor at Peking University, approved of the clear restrictions on the range of the special amnesty as set out in the draft.
"Excluding prisoners serving sentences for graft and bribery shows our leadership's determination to fight corruption," Chu said.
Wang Ping, a law professor at China University of Political Science and Law, said the exclusion of some prisoners invovled in homicide, rape and terrorism, is reasonable.
Other proposals for amendments
・ Chinese citizens running for seats as lawmakers should not receive any kind of election-related support from foreign organizations or individuals, according to the latest proposal of a draft amendment to the election law of the National People's Congress.
・ The top legislature will discuss a draft law to regulate the awarding of national honors and medals of honor. According to the draft, award ceremonies for national honors will be held with certain procedures during major festivals or on memorial days.
・ Amendments to three laws, on education, higher education and the promotion of privately run education, were sent to the National People's Congress Standing Committee for a first reading. The amendments aim to ban those caught cheating from taking future tests and to punish those facilitating such cheating. Currently, education institutions are authorized to disqualify cheaters and render their scores invalid. In severe cases, education administrators can ban cheaters from attending such exams for one to three years.
・ Lawmakers proposed formulating a provision in the ninth amendment to the Criminal Law to curb assaults on police officers. They suggested that the law should stipulate that anyone who violently attacks a police officer will face a harsher penalty if they are convicted of impeding the public service of police officers.
・ Driving while drugged is excluded from the draft of the ninth amendment to the Criminal Law because the study in this regard was insufficient. Lawmakers hold different opinions on how to define drugged driving and what penalties should be applied for the offense. The issues was postponed until the next legislative discussion, according to the Legal Affairs Committee of the Congress.
