China unveils tighter regulation on commutation

The Supreme People's Court (SPC) on Tuesday made new regulation on commutation of sentences and probation following a string of cases of convicts bribing their way out of jail.

The new rule will safeguard equity and fairness in decisions to commute a sentence or grant release on probation, said Gong Ming of the SPC.

According to the regulation, hearings are required when it comes to remission for criminals convicted of taking advantage of one's position, organizing mafia-style groups or disrupting financial order and financial fraud.

Hearings are also requires when warranting remissions to criminals who have made significant contributions to police investigations, or to those whose submissions are rejected by procuratorate organs, it added.

"It's good for the courts to receive feedback from jails, convicts and inmates when granting commutation or probation," said the SPC spokesman Sun Jungong.

Submissions of commutation and probation should be made public and subsequent verdicts by the courts must be published on their official websites, according to the regulation.

Publicizing submissions and verdicts in warranting remission will put the whole procedure under the public supervision and further boost judicial transparency, Sun said.

Official statistics show China has more than 600,000 cases of commutation and probation each year. However, along with the valid role of remission in helping convicts return to society, judicial corruption involving criminals using money and power to dodge punishment has grown noticeable in recent years.

In one high-profile case, Zhang Hai, former board chairman of Jianlibao Group Co. Ltd., a Chinese beverage giant, used illegal means to have his sentence cut by five years in a second court trial and had his jail term further reduced by more than four years while he was serving the sentence.

A total of 24 people were under investigation in the case, including 11 in the judiciary and prison service, three working in detention centers, one court official and two lawyers.

Among them, three working in the prison, court and detention services have already been sentenced to up to six years in jail.

To curb abuses of power, regular supervision and inspection will be conducted nationwide this year, Gong Ming said.