Condemning innocent worse than sparing guilty: senior justice (2)

While the possibility of mistakes in criminal investigations and trials may not be completely ruled out, the existing mindset of the "presumption of guilt" instead of the "presumption of innocence" among some law enforcers in China has made such cases more likely to happen, Shen said. ' To better prevent judicial injustice, Shen urged judcial workers to fully understand the harm of wrongful convictions against innocent people.

It may destroy a person, a family, the judicial agencies' image and authority, as well as the public's confidence and belief in the country's justice system, he said.

In his article, Shen also called on the country's judicial workers to better abide by procedural rules, respect the defendant lawyers' role and increase the use of advanced technological methods in handling criminal cases.

Moreover, he underlined the role of public supervision in avoiding unjust court rulings and called on the courts to promote transparency in trials by making relevant information public in a timely manner.