Xi to lead push to make legal system more transparent and cut outside interference
President Xi Jinping is likely to oversee the Central Politics and Law Commission - the powerful organ that oversees all law enforcement bodies - to increase transparency
President Xi Jinping is likely to oversee the Central Politics and Law Commission in an effort increase transparency and cut police interference as China aims to become a country governed by rule of law, the Beijing News reported.
The party secretaries of the politics and law commission will no longer concurrently be members of the secretive Public Security Bureau, the report said.
Fan Chongyi, a legal expert from The Open University of China, said traditionally members of the politics and law commission worked closely with the police, resulting in a lot of intervention in cases.
He added the focus now was on transforming the commission. The commission and the police would still work together but not coordinate the handling of cases.
The report cited Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei and Yunnan province as example of what should be happening.
In Beijing, Yang Chao heads the politics and law commission, with Fu Zhenghua as the head of public security. In Hebei, Zhang Yue served as the head of public security from 2008 until he stepped down last year and assumed the position of party secretary of the politics and law commission.
“In the past, you could be the party secretary of the politics and law commission, and concurrently hold the position of police chief, member of a court, or procuratorate,” Fan said.
“This is not conducive to the independently-exercised power of courts.”
The Central Politics and Law Commission is a powerful organisation responsible for political and legal affairs, including the police force. The commission is currently headed by Meng Jianzhu. But while Meng’s predecessor, Zhou Yongkang, was a member of the all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee, Meng sits on the lesser 25-member Politburo.
Earlier, Xi stressed the need to “promote social equity and justice” in “pursuit of political and legal work”.
