China's top judicial official demanded that prosecutorial departments should strengthen legal supervision of crimes closely related to people's livelihood, such as those occurring in the midst of disaster rescue and relief and relating to college entrance exam scandals.
Investigation of crimes and prosecution of criminals connected with labor and employment, illegal land requisition, relocation compensation, medical services and healthcare should also be intensified, he said.
Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau Zhou Yongkang, who is in charge of legal affairs, made these remarks yesterday during a work conference attended by nationwide provincial prosecutor chiefs .
Zhou said procuratorates should prioritize people's interest and focus work emphasis on their concerns.
"Chinese procuratorates face the difficult challenge of strengthening their function of legal supervision and insuring consolidation of the Constitution and Law," Zhou said.
Corruption and miscarriages of justice are the problems most apparent to the public, he said.
"Prosecuratorates should investigate job-related crimes concerning unjust law enforcement as well as job-related crimes involving property issues."
Zhou also emphasized public support of legal supervision, whereby 80 percent of leads on corruption and dereliction of duty that culminate in prosecution comes from public reports.
"Procuratorates should improve mechanisms that facilitate and encourage public reports by people using their real names, and establish information exchange channels with other government departments to broaden sources of leads."
The Supreme People's Prosecuratorate last week ordered prosecutors to be stringent in their treatment of crimes such as theft, robbery and women and children trafficking in the earthquake-affected areas in the country.
Criminals selling fake goods and hazardous food, destruction of public facilities and public order in the area will be severely cracked down, it said.
(China Daily July 9, 2008)