Greater public interest role proposed for prosecutors
Liu Xinyan, an experienced prosecutor with the capital’s Dongcheng district procuratorate, said it is necessary to extend the practice nationwide.
“We’ve found problems on our own and also received complaints from residents. For example, we investigate if someone tips us off about a restaurant for illegally discharging polluted water, or when another division shares evidence,” she said.
“When we confirm that pollution is occurring or find that a government department has acted improperly, we first give the company or department some suggestions on how to solve the problem. If they fail to do so, we take them to court.”
Liu’s team has handled more than 100 complaints, “but most enterprises and administrations solve the pollution or food safety problem before it gets to court”, she said, adding that the threat of a lawsuit has proved a good deterrent.
A statement from the SPP said the areas involved in the pilot program dealt with a combined 7,886 cases as of May. Of those, 934 resulted in a lawsuit. Courts ruled on 222 cases — all in favor of the prosecutors.
“It’s hard for an individual to win a lawsuit, as it’s difficult to prove what specific damage pollution caused, but prosecutors are different,” said Cheng Lei, an associate law professor at Renmin University of China. “They are better at investigation, and protecting the public interest is also their duty.
“If the draft amendments are passed, the qualification of plaintiffs in public interest lawsuits will be extended.” Other drafts submitted for review
The top legislature began reviewing a draft amendment on Thursday to promote the development of small and mediumsized enterprises by cutting costs and supporting innovation.
The draft amendment to the Law of Promoting Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress for a second reading at the start of its bimonthly session.
The draft said the State Council should define clear responsibilities for authorities at provincial, city and county levels to promote SME development. It also said authorities should set clear policies for tax credits, easy access to financing, lower startup costs, cooperation between civilians and military, support for innovation and training for SME human resources.
The draft also said that authorities should strengthen supervision and inspection of funds for SME development. behind social development, and the content and range of services provided by specialized cooperatives needed to be broadened, advocates said. Some management and financial problems also need regulation, they said.