Businessman's execution casts doubt over reform
Hopes of judiciary overhaul are now in question after convicted businessman is put to death, unannounced, before his family is notified
When Zhou Qiang took control of the nation's highest court in March, many held out cautious hope that the former Hunan party secretary might push the judiciary towards meaningful reform.
Unlike his predecessor, Zhou holds a law degree and many lawyers thought he might have a greater appreciation for the courts. Once installed as president of the Supreme People's Court, he quickly raised hopes with a series of speeches about improving the courts.
But some have begun to question Zhou's commitment to reform in the wake of the unannounced execution last week of Hunan businessman Zeng Chengjie.
Some complain that Zeng's penalty for defrauding tens of thousands of investors of approximately 3.4 billion yuan (HK$4.3 billion) was too harsh because Communist Party officials have been spared the death sentence for similar crimes.
But most of the public outrage centred on the court's failure to notify Zeng's family before putting him to death. The public outcry only increased after the court explained that the family's "contact information was not included in court documents".
Compounding concerns is Zhou's close connection to the high-profile case. Zeng was convicted and sentenced to death in Hunan in 2011, when Zhou was overseeing the province.