Record Low of China's Prison Runaways in 1999: OfficialA senior official from the Ministry of Justice said here today that the number of China's prison runaways and cases within prisons had both dropped to a record low in 1999.Fan Fangping, vice-minister of justice, made the remark while reporting to the second plenary meeting of an inspection team of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, on the implementation of the revised Criminal Procedural Law. He said that after the revised law become effective on January 1 of 1997, the ministry issued a circular, calling on the country's prison officers to study the law and run prisons in strict accordance with the law. Over the past years, China's prison officers have improved considerably in their professional capabilities and their willingness to implement the revised Criminal Procedural Law, according to the vice-minister. The Standing Committee of the NPC plans to send an inspection team to check the implementation of the Criminal Procedural Law in six provincial administrative areas since September, to promote fair justice and protect the legitimate right of citizens. |
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