Prosecutors asked to support private sector

Public prosecutors in South China’s Guangdong Province have been asked to support the development of the private sector by better interpretation of relevant laws and regulations and to give leeway for private firms and entrepreneurs in certain cases, according to a new guidance issued by the province’s top procuratorate on Wednesday.

The guidance, released by the People’s Procuratorate of Guangdong, is aimed at creating a better environment for the private sector and boosting entrepreneurs’ confidence and sense of security, the procuratorate said in a statement.

According to the guidance, prosecutors should not pursue criminal charges against private companies if their operations do not violate restrictive statutes “explicitly stated,” meaning prosecutors should offer more leeway in the interpretation of the statutes instead of pursuing all cases. Prosecutors could consider dropping charges against private companies and entrepreneurs who are convicted of “minor” crimes that do not require punishment.

Prosecutors could also give some leeway to “qualified” private companies under revised criminal law and minimize “to the greatest extent” the impact on the normal operations of private companies.