China will launch a massive program to train all the judges of the people's courts at the district or county level in the coming three years, said Xiao Yang, president of its Supreme People's Court, Thursday.

Xiao made the remarks at a training course for presidents of people's courts at grassroots level that opened at the National Judges College Thursday.

"It is the first time for the Supreme People's Court to offer the direct training to presidents of people's courts at the grassroots level," said Xiao.

Statistics show that the number of the judges of the people's courts at the grassroots level constitutes nearly 80 percent of all the judges around China. Nevertheless, they have not received any on-the-job training as judges at higher or intermediate people's courts.

"Judges of people's courts at the grassroots level have the most of contact with the ordinary people," acknowledged Xiao." To enhance the skills of these judges is meant to raise the overall quality of judges in China as a whole and improve people's impression on the judges contingent."

The training program will include courses on trial expertise and judges' exchange of experience concerning court trials.

(Xinhua News Agency June 24, 2004)