China's top legislature has adopted a decision to list the country's first law on detention centers in the legislature plan of the next National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee on Saturday, a further move to protect human rights.
Putting forward a law on detention centers, together with amending the People's Police Law, was suggested in a report that was adopted at a bi-monthly session of the Standing Committee of the NPC that closed on Saturday in Beijing.
The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) published a draft law on detention centers to collect public opinion in June.
Respecting and safeguarding human rights was listed as one of the intentions for the law, according to the draft law published on the MPS website.
All people's procuratorates must supervise enforcement of the detention center law regarding detention of suspects and defendants, as well as allowing inquiries and meetings with attorneys to avoid power abuses.
The use of police instruments and weapons by detention center staff must also be supervised by prosecutors, the draft says. Medical units must set up branches in detention centers, ensuring basic medical access for those in custody to treat suspects, defendants and criminals with HIV/AIDS, contagious diseases and other illnesses.
The draft of the amended People's Police Law was released on the MPS website in December 2016 for public opinion. The draft has added several regulations on the use of weapons, including the conditions to allow or ban the use of weapons.
The current regulation on detention centers was enacted in 1990 and was drafted based on the Criminal Procedure Law, while the People's Police Law was enacted in 1995 and its latest amendment was in 2012.
