Courts of all levels in China should prevent unjust or wrong verdicts in criminal cases, a senior official with the country's Supreme People's Court (SPC) urged on Thursday.
Court staff dealing with criminal cases must depend on legal procedures and systems, adopt technologies and seek public support to prevent sentencing people unjustly or wrongly, said Shen Deyong, the SPC's vice president.
Criminal trials concern life and death, as well as citizens' reputations, properties and freedom. Trial decisions impact state security and social stability, he said at a seminar held in Guangzhou City, capital of south China's Guangdong Province.
He urged courts to work with public security departments and procuratorates to safeguard judicial justice through cooperation as well as systems of checks and balances.
Shen emphasized the role of counsels for defendants in preventing wrong sentences, saying their rights should be fully respected and protected.
Most counsels are professional, rational, objective, just and sincere, he said. "They are an important force that are reliable and should be dependent on by all courts."
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