China revises law on legislative process

China is revising its Legislation Law in a step toward realizing the rule of law as pledged by the country's leadership in a major legal reform blueprint in October.

The bill, after the first reading in August, was submitted to the bi-monthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, which runs Monday to Sunday.

The second edition of the bill has been drafted to meet the targets set by the legal reform plan adopted at the fourth plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee in late October, said Qiao Xiaoyang, director of the NPC Law Committee, when elaborating the bill to lawmakers.

The Legislation Law, considered an essential part of China's legal system, regulates how national law, government regulations and local laws come into shape and defines the legislative powers in the country.

October's reform plan pledged to promote the rule of law, improving the country's legal system, pushing the government to function in line with the law, and reforming the judicial system.

To ensure legal governance, a new article in the bill bans local governments from issuing regulations that restrain the rights of a citizen or corporation or increase their liabilities without legal foundation.

The bill allows local governments to issue temporary regulations if they are urgently needed. The temporary regulations will become invalid after two years unless the local legislature adopts laws to support them.

The new version of the bill also further clarifies local legislation while granting lawmaking powers to more cities.

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