Judicial reform experiment approved for launch

The launch of an experiment in judicial reform that allows the Supreme People's Court to set up circuit courts and courts that cross administrative lines has been endorsed by the Communist Party.

The experiment was aimed at promoting judicial independence and guaranteeing that courts and prosecutors were free from outside intervention, the leadership said yesterday after a meeting of the Central Leading Group for Overall Reform, chaired by President Xi Jinping .

The leadership had in principle endorsed the creation of the new courts at the party's fourth plenum in October.

Under the present system the mainland has four levels of courts - national, provincial, municipal and county - which correspond to the administrative regions.

Analysts said the reform would limit the ability of provincial and municipal authorities to interfere in judicial proceedings, as the new cross-regional courts would come directly under the control of the Supreme People's Court and the Communist Party.

It will also limit the intervention of local party officials who supervise courts and law enforcement.