Guidelines issued on dealing with seized property

China's government group responsible for implementing reforms has passed a guideline on how to handle property involved in criminal cases and has asked government organs at each level not to interfere with property disposal.

The guideline, issued by the Leading Group for Overall Reform, led by President Xi Jinping, said regulating the disposal of property in criminal cases is an important matter relating to the punishment of offenders and protection of human rights, as well as being a major measure to ensure justice and boost judicial credibility.

Chinese courts have been seriously influenced as they dealt with property involved in criminal lawsuits over the past few years, and the issue easily breeds injustice and perversion of the law, the meeting found.

Property disposal is a cross-regional and complex matter, the leading group confirmed during the meeting, adding that it is asking every department to build awareness and enhance cooperation.

The leading group urged government departments to set up an information platform to manage property involved in criminal cases as soon as possible.

The Party's organs across the country must play exemplary roles to abide by laws and not to interfere with property disposal.

It is also urgent to establish a working system to recover overseas property involved in criminal cases, it said.

In addition, the leading group said that 80 key reform tasks raised in 2014 have been accomplished, and it added that deeper reforms will be pushed next year.