Judges will be made fully accountable for unjust or erroneous decisions, China's supreme court announced at a press conference on Monday.
Experts said this measure could lead to judicial transparency.
Judges will be held accountable if they intentionally break the law and regulations, or if their gross negligence leads to grave consequences, said He Xiaorong, director of the Supreme People's Court judicial reform leadership group.
The judges face severe punishment if they take bribes during trials, are partial or pervert the law. Also, judges who alter, conceal, fabricate and intentionally destroy evidence will be held accountable, according to He.
He stressed that unrestrained power will inevitably lead to corruption, and the use of power without a sense of responsibility will undoubtedly result in arbitrary decisions.
"Judicial authority is a special power, but it still needs restraints and limitations," He said.
Wang Guirong, former chief judge of a criminal court in Zhoukou, East China's Henan Province was sentenced to one year and nine months in jail for dereliction of duty in 2011, since her lenient review of evidence resulted in an erroneous 10-year jail sentence of a man for fraud, according to Beijing-based news website caijing.com.cn.
Yue Shenshan, a lawyer from the Beijing-based Yuecheng Law Firm, told the Global Times Monday that the lifelong accountability system for judges could lead to judicial transparency.
"This system was not effectively implemented for a long time," Yue told the Global Times.
"When misjudged cases are exposed, the judges involved, either promoted to senior positions or retired, are usually exempt from punishment. The lifelong accountability system can improve the sense of responsibility in judges, enhance trial quality and promote public trust in the judicial system," Yue said.
Central judicial organs have released several measures to prevent misjudged cases. A total of 1,603 people were acquitted in 2013 and 2014, the State Council Information Office said Monday.
