China’s top judicial official, Zhou Qiang, called on courts to “dare to stick to the truth” at a seminar in Beijing on Monday.
The president of the Supreme People’s Court also urged courts to hand out fewer death sentences.
Courts “have to follow the standard set by the Supreme People’s Court, severely control and prudently apply the death sentence,” Zhou said.
Since 2006, the Supreme People’s Court has reviewed every death sentence before it is carried out. China does not say how many people are executed in the country every year, but Amnesty International estimates China to be the world’s largest executioner with thousands of death sentences carried out last year.
Court leaders at all levels should dare to stick to principles and handle matters according to the law
The debate about the death penalty has returned to prominence with the execution of Xia Junfeng last month. The Shenyang street hawker stabbed two urban management officers to death in 2009 after they had beaten him. Supporters argued he acted in self-defence and questioned the selective choice of testimony allowed by the court which eventually convicted him.