Court media officers get greater say

English>>China Politics

Editor's Pick

Court media officers get greater say

By Zhao Yinan (China Daily) 08:43, September 24, 2013

Email|Print|Comments

twitter

facebook

Sina Microblog

Enhanced autonomy to promote transparency of judicial system

Court media officers have been given greater autonomy to release case details, a source close to the matter said on condition of anonymity.

The change in the publicity department of the Supreme People's Court is expected to ensure better access to judicial information, including hearings.

The source said the upgrade is part of internal restructuring, although the top court is still seeking final approval from the Organization Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, which could "take some time".

He Bing, a professor at China University of Political Science and Law, said the change will allow court media officers to have more say in releasing information, instead of bowing to judges or other officials, who may not be as open-minded.

Previously, the department's administrative rank was one level lower than tribunals, he said, which sometimes "forced media officers to yield to the orders of judges".

Raising the administrative level of the publicity department is part of a reform following the inauguration in March of Zhou Qiang, the top judge of the Supreme People's Court.

Known for his experience in the judicial system, Zhou has been calling for better judicial credibility and more transparency since he took office.

Seminars soliciting advice on how to improve judicial news releases have been held for journalists and legal professionals, and in-field investigations have been conducted.

Underlining the public attention paid to judicial work, Zhou urged senior judges and media officers from local courts to catch up with new media, which he said requires "not only the release of information in a timely manner, but also responding to questions and misunderstandings online".