Supreme Court to severely punish officer-turned litigation brokers

China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) has called for severe punishment for judicial police officers who act as litigation brokers.

The court disciplinary bodies should strengthen monitoring and anti-graft work by clarifying its responsibility and putting more energy to monitoring and exercising disciplinary power, the SPC said in a recently published guideline.

It said disciplinary bodies of the people's courts should strengthen inspection and monitoring of major decisions by attending important meetings, taking part in the drafting and signing of major documents, reviewing major appointment or dismissal in advance, and others.

Each case should be investigated, and all corrupt activities should be punished, the SPC's guideline said, adding that those judicial police officers who act as litigation brokers between judges and parties involved in judicial cases, as well as officers seeking illegal gains by taking advantage of hidden rules in judicial systems.

The SPC also called for regular inspection of the implementation of the central authority's policies on work styles and thrift, rectifying all violations and publishing typical cases as a warning to others.

As for the problems that the people complain the most, the SPC called for special campaigns to rectify bad practices by judicial police officers, such as bad tempers, asking the people for money and others, so that to eradicate the "chronic maladies" of the people's courts.