2. We strengthened efforts to ensure and oversee the enforcement of the Constitution.
Ensuring the full enforcement of the Constitution represents the most important and fundamental task in building China into a socialist rule of law country. With a continued commitment to upholding the principles of the Constitution, the Standing Committee has worked to fulfill its duty to oversee the enforcement of the Constitution, energetically promote the spirit of the Constitution, resolutely safeguard its authority, and ensure its full and effective enforcement.
1) We introduced a system of pledging allegiance to the Constitution.
The Standing Committee examined and adopted the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Implementing the System of Pledging Allegiance to the Constitution, thereby establishing the system into national law. The decision stipulates, "All those who are elected or appointed to public office by people's congresses at all levels or by the standing committees of people's congresses at and above the county level as well as by people's governments, people's courts, and people's procuratorates at all levels shall make a public pledge of allegiance to the Constitution when they officially assume office." This is a major measure for promoting governance of the country based on the Constitution and other laws. The words of the pledge embody the sense of loyalty, responsibility, and commitment that public servants are expected to have toward their country and people. The practice of pledging allegiance to the Constitution will play an important role in urging public servants to remain loyal to, comply with, and safeguard the Constitution, which in turn will help us in our efforts to ensure and oversee the enforcement of the Constitution.
2) We exercised constitutional stipulations on amnesty.
In commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and in the Global War against Fascism, and acting in line with the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee, the NPC Standing Committee, in compliance with the relevant provisions of the Constitution, adopted a decision on granting amnesty to certain prisoners. The President of China issued an order, granting amnesty to prisoners falling into four categories, with one category being those who fought in the War of Resistance and those who fought in the War of Liberation. This marks the eighth time since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and the first time since the introduction of the reform and opening up policy, that amnesty has been granted in China. The granting of amnesty represents a new step that has been taken to implement the system of amnesty as stipulated in the Constitution, advance the law-based governance of China in all areas, and apply the spirit of humanitarianism, and therefore has major political and legal implications.
3) We enacted the Law on National Medals and Titles of Honor.
The system of national awards and honors is an important system stipulated in the Constitution. In order to commend and award those who have made outstanding contributions to our country, foster and promote the core socialist values, and enhance the cohesiveness and appeal of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the Standing Committee, in accordance with Paragraph 16 under Article 67 of the Constitution and on the basis of a review of the past experience in granting medals and awards, drafted and then deliberated and passed the Law on National Medals and Titles of Honor. This law has defined the most important and fundamental provisions concerning national medals and honorary titles, such as the establishment of such medals and titles, eligible recipients, and awarding procedures, thereby laying down an important legal basis for establishing and improving relevant systems of Party and state awards and honors.
4) We improved the recording and review system for normative documents.
The recording and review of normative documents constitutes an important system for safeguarding the authority of the Constitution and ensuring legislative consistency. Seizing on the opportunity provided by the implementation of the revised Legislation Law, the Standing Committee took steps not only to improve the system of recording and reviewing normative documents, but also to enhance its capacity to implement this system. The working bodies of the Standing Committee, working in collaboration with relevant departments, established a mechanism for coordinating the recording and review of regulations, rules, and other normative documents. Thanks to years of efforts, all types of regulations, rules, judicial interpretations, and other normative documents have been brought under the scope of recording and review, and we have worked to see to it that any normative document that is found to, through review, conflict with the Constitution or any other law is rescinded or corrected in accordance with the law and relevant regulations. Our policy in this regard is to ensure that all normative documents are kept on record, all documents on record are examined, and all mistakes discovered in these documents are rectified. Over the past year, the working bodies of the Standing Committee reviewed over 30 administrative regulations and judicial interpretations submitted by the State Council, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate. They have also taken the initiative to review certain local regulations, studying over 200 suggestions from various departments. In doing so, they have ensured proper recording and review of normative documents.
