Procuratorates to provide more judicial procedure information

The Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) has ordered procuratorates to give the public more access to information about legal cases.

In a new protocol made public on Saturday, the SPP asked local procuratorates to publish all information about investigations and prosecutions that is allowed by the law.

Much of the information that procuratorates have henceforth made available to the public is limited to general and operational details. Prosecutors have been cautious about making case information available.

The SPP said the move was designed to give the public greater scope to supervise prosecution of cases.

Procuratorates have also been ordered to disclose information about prosecutors who break the law and the punishment they receive as well as the official interference prosecutors come across.

"Procuratorates should have the courage to expose their own weaknesses and loopholes," said SPP spokesperson Xiao Wei at a press conference.

The protocol follows other moves to improve legal transparency. In October, the SPP launched a website providing the the public with information on investigations and prosecutions. As of Thursday, the site held about 950,000 entries relating to procedural information and prosecution decisions as well as 148,000 legal documents including indictment papers.