The amendments - 14 items altogether - covered areas such as human rights, the Theory of the Three Represents by former president Jiang Zemin, protection of private property, the authority of the president and even the national anthem.

Wu Bangguo, NPC chairman, said the constitution provided the legal safeguard for building socialism with Chinese characteristics as it spelled out 'people's basic rights and obligations'.

'We should avail ourselves of the occasion of the constitutional amendment to publicise and study the constitution,' he said.

Announcing a campaign to publicise and study the constitution, he said cadres and state workers must uphold the authority of the constitution and ensure its effective implementation.

Shen Chunyao, a member of the NPC Standing Committee, said a vigorous study campaign was needed to explain the various amendments.

For example, people might have questions on whether corporate shares, financial assets and intellectual property rights should be considered as a 'means of production' to be protected under the amendment, he said.

Nan Cunhui, a delegate from Zhejiang province and chairman of the Zhengtai Group, backed the amendments, saying they showed understanding and support of the non-public economy in order to achieve sustainable development.

He expected to see a greater legislative effort on the protection of lawfully acquired property.

At a media conference after the conference closed, Premier Wen Jiabao said party leaders who had engineered the revision should set themselves up as an example in abiding by the constitution.

Earlier yesterday, delegates also voted on the Government Work Report by Mr Wen and twin reports by the Supreme People's Court and Supreme People's Procuratorate.

About a fifth of the delegates voted against the court report as a gesture of disapproval.

As many as 586 of the 2,896 delegates voted against the report delivered by court president Xiao Yang; another 228, or 8 per cent, abstained.

The negative vote on the Supreme People's Court report was among the highest in recent years.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate fared slightly better this year with 494, or 17 per cent of the delegates, voting against the work report delivered by Procurator-General Jia Chunwang. Another 241, or 8 per cent abstained.

About 19 per cent of the delegates voted against Mr Jia's report last year.

Mr Wen's report - his first to the NPC - received overwhelming support with only seven negative votes and 15 abstentions.

Delegates said this year's votes indicated widespread discontent over the performance of the judiciary - especially a lack of impartiality of local courts.

Li Zhizhong of Xinjiang Normal University, said he abstained on the court and procuratorate reports because he was unhappy with the work of local judicial officials.

'Courts at the grassroots level have a distorted understanding about regulations issued from above. The quality of judges at the grassroots level should be improved so there are fewer rulings based on personal connection or prejudice.'