China advances criminal procedure reform

BEIJING -- China has issued a guideline on criminal procedure reform and the role of court trials in a bid to reduce wrongful convictions.

The guideline by the Supreme People's court and procuratorate, along with the ministries of public security, state security and justice, seeks to improve criminal procedure by exerting the court's role in fact finding, identifying evidence, protecting rights and impartial judgment

Reform of criminal procedure began when the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October, 2014, decided to fully advance the rule of law.