Chinese police officers given exemption from prosecution
- From February, officers will no longer be held legally responsible for damage to the property of individuals or organisations caused in the performance of their duty
Chinese police officers will soon be exempt from legal responsibility for any damage they might cause to the property or interests of individuals or organisations while in the course of their duty.
Announcing the new regulations at a press conference on Saturday, Guo Lin, a spokeswoman for the public security ministry said they were necessary to enable officers to do their work without fear of retribution.
In the event of an officer damaging the legitimate rights or interests of a citizen or institution, the injured party would, however, still be entitled to compensation from the relevant public security authority, she said.
The new rules, approved by Public Security Minister Zhao Kezhi and which take effect on February 1, are also intended to help protect officers’ own property and their families.
They state that public security authorities should seek to ensure the safety of police officers in all situations, including when dealing with violent situations or the threat of physical or emotional attacks on themselves or their relatives.
Guo said that many frontline police officers had encountered “obstacles” during their law enforcement duties, such as violent resistance or people spreading rumours about them.
Such problems were interfering with the officers’ job of fighting crime and protecting the public, she said.