GUIYANG, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese courts will advance the trial-centered reform of criminal procedure and establish a multilevel criminal proceeding system with Chinese characteristics.
According to a document issued Tuesday after a national forum attended by presidents of higher people's courts, criminal trial proceedings, especially court trials, will be standardized.
Noting that the quality of criminal trials and protection of human rights has improved, the document said courts nationwide will draw on the experience and lessons in reform to better protect the innocent from miscarriages of justice and bring the guilty to justice.
It also pledged to ensure that court trials and the contest between the procuratorial and defending parties play a more substantial role in the criminal proceedings.
Reforms regarding criminal summary judgement and procedures involving defendants pleading guilty will also be advanced, it said.
The document said China will accelerate the building of intelligent courts.
Courts at all levels will use big data to serve decision making in the judicial sector and smooth information sharing to solve problems regarding service of legal documents and enforcement of court rulings, it said.
In the first six months of this year, the Supreme People's Court has accepted 15,400 cases and concluded the trials of 9,594 cases while local courts at all levels have accepted 14.6 million cases and concluded more than 8.8 million.
The document said the system for judicial selection will also be improved.
