Download
A top judge's call to boost lawyers' role at courts will help reduce wrongful convictions, legal experts said.
Shen Deyong, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court, has called on judges to respect the role of lawyers, especially defense lawyers, who are part of the legal community and can help judges avoid handing down wrongful verdicts.
"We should fully understand that lawyers are an integral part of the legal community, an ally of the courts and an irreplaceable force in preventing wrongful convictions," Shen said in an article published on Monday in People's Court Daily, a newspaper affiliated with the top court.
"It is even preferable to spare guilty people than to hand down wrongful punishment to the innocent," he said.
In the article entitled How to Prevent Wrongful Convictions, Shen said the Criminal Procedure Law, which stipulates lawyers have the right to protect the legal rights of the defendants based on facts and laws, is designed to balance the power between the defendants and the prosecutors, to prevent a presumption of guilt.
"Defense lawyers are the most reliable power in courts for upholding justice," he said.
Experts said the remarks re-assess lawyers and their role in court hearings, and may reverse the current situation under which the role of lawyers is often undermined.
Hou Xinyi, a law professor at Nankai University in Tianjin, said the philosophical change of putting law first and respecting lawyers may compel courts to review controversial cases, which have allegedly imprisoned the innocent and dampened judicial credibility.
"The public is expecting an active response and re-examination of the controversial convictions, and this is a useful way for the courts to improve their image and restore people's confidence in the judicial system."
It also means lawyers, especially defense attorneys, will be able to play a bigger and more active role in court hearing, he said.
Although the Criminal Procedure Law was amended this year to include more rights for lawyers, many criminal defense lawyers have complained of unfair treatment in the courtroom. Lawyers are held responsible for falsification of evidence, although prosecutors are exempted from it.
"The distrust between lawyers and judges has evidently grown in recent years," Hou said.
Heated debate arose after lawyer Wang Quanzhang was judicially detained for disrupting order in court in Jingjiang, Jiangsu province, in early April.
Wang was later released after three days, instead of the original10-day sentence.
The court said in a statement on its website that Wang has seriously disrupted order in court and was legally detained. "But since the detention has achieved the disciplinary effects, further detention is not necessary, so the court has decided to grant Wang early release," it said.
Speculation has swirled that the court abused its power, as the statement failed to specify what in Wang's behavior disrupted order in the court.
Shen's remarks about giving more support to defense lawyers and greater protection to defendants to prevent wrongful convictions is part of the steps that have been taken by the Supreme People's Court to improve its public image.
Zhou Qiang, president of the Supreme People's Court, has also made repeated calls about upholding the rule of law and has held meetings to solicit opinion on how to build the judiciary's credibility among law professors and lawyers.
Many have expected the 53-year-old judge to improve the judicial system since he became president of the top court in March.
Zhou, who has extensive experience in the judicial system, has taken a series of measures.
The top court for the first time broadcast live online its news conference on Friday.
In his public comments since becoming top judge, Zhou has spoken repeatedly about justice and transparency.
During a trip to Shaanxi province in early April, Zhou said judicial justice is the "lifeline" of courts, and judges should be subject to the supervision of the public and the media.
He Bing, a law professor at China University of Political Science and Law, said Zhou's remarks have given him an impression that the top court is going in the right direction.
But Hou Xinyi from Nankai University said, "I expect some concrete steps to be taken."
Questions:
1. What is the name of the story that appeared in People’s Court Daily?
2. Hou Xinyi is a law professor at which university?
3. What is the name of the lawyer who was recently arrested for disrupting a court?
Answers:
1. How to Prevent Wrongful Convictions.
2. Nankai University in Tianjin.
3. Wang Quanzhang.
About the broadcaster:
Lance Crayon is a videographer and editor with China Daily. Since living in Beijing he has worked for China Radio International (CRI) and Global Times. Before moving to China he worked in the film industry in Los Angeles as a talent agent and producer. He has a B.A. in English from the University of Texas at Arlington.
双语:“大脚”问题日益困扰英国女性
英文名著精选阅读:《傲慢与偏见》第七章 第3节
美文背诵:月光光,心慌慌?
精选英语美文阅读:水下观弄潮
英文名著精选阅读:《小妇人》第二章:圣诞快乐 第13节
英文名著精选阅读:《理智与情感》第二章 第2节
英文名著精选阅读:《傲慢与偏见》第三十六章
语言学:英语知多少之英语时态(2)
英文名著精选阅读:《小妇人》第四章:负担 第3节
精选英语美文阅读:别错过机会
语言学:英语知多少之英语中的格(1)
英文名著精选阅读:《小妇人》第四章:负担 第11节
英文欣赏:青春物语 Man's Youth
英文名著精选阅读:《理智与情感》第一章 第2节
英文名著精选阅读:《小妇人》第一章:朝圣 第5节
英文名著精选阅读:《小妇人》第二章:圣诞快乐 第8节
英文名著精选阅读:《傲慢与偏见》第三十八章
感恩节活动:游行 Thanksgiving Day Parades
英文名著精选阅读:《小妇人》第二章:圣诞快乐 第1节
英文名著精选阅读:《傲慢与偏见》第八章
英文名著精选阅读:《红字》第六章(上)
双语:感恩节的由来(最全版)
英文名著精选阅读:《小妇人》第五章:和睦邻居 第5节
英美文化:美国手机篇
英文名著精选阅读:《红字》第十三章(上)
英文名著精选阅读:《傲慢与偏见》第四十八章 (下)
语言学:英语知多少之英语词源
英文名著精选阅读:《傲慢与偏见》第四章 第3节
【我爱卡路里】万圣节特供:南瓜派!
英文名著精选阅读:《小妇人》第三章:劳伦斯家的男孩 第12节
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |