China eyes streamlining legislative process to realize rule of law

About 3,000 national legislators on Sunday began the reading of a draft revision to China's Legislation Law, which aims to clarify legislative power and streamline the procedure.[Special coverage]

Only a few laws have gone to the annual full session of the National People's Congress (NPC) while most are reviewed and adopted by the 171-member NPC Standing Committee at its bi-monthly sessions.

The Legislation Law, considered a foundation of China's legal system, regulates how national laws, government regulations and local laws come into shape and which organizations hold the legislative power in the country.

Being reviewed by all NPC deputies indicated the significance of this bill, said Prof. Ying Songnian with China University of Political Science and Law.

"Without a properly-written Legislation Law, there is thin chance to make good laws. Without good laws, where should we start to realize the rule of law?" he said.

Advancing the rule of law is part of the strategic layout of "Four Comprehensives" put forward by the country's central leadership.

The first priority in revising this law is to incorporate decisions and plans set by the Communist Party of China Central Committee during its third and fourth plenary sessions, said Li Jianguo, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, while elaborating the bill to deputies.

Through the revision to Legislation Law, the top legislature expects to improve legislative system, update legislation according to reform progress and make sure the legitimacy of reform plans, Li said.

Liang Ying, a member of staff with the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, told Xinhua that the bill indicated a changing role of legislation since the law was adopted in 2000.

A decade ago a law was often an abstraction out of what have been done but now it is expected to show the direction and guide the practice, Liang said.

The legislature is also expected to accumulate consensus and help remove barriers for upcoming reform measures through making a law, which is why the Legislation Law needed to be amended, he said.

The bill has already gone through two readings at the NPC Standing Committee in August and December. It is likely to be put for a vote on March 15.

EXPANDING LOCAL LEGISLATIVE POWER

The bill expands legislative power from 49 cities in China to 284, empowering their legislatures to make local laws.