Chen Zhonglin, president of the law school of the Southwest University of Political Science & Law in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, predicted that death penalties in the country would decline by at least 20 per cent as a result of Tuesday's action.

The Supreme People's Court had been preparing for the change by adding three criminal tribunals to handle death sentence reviews.

A nationwide criminal trial work conference will be held this month to prepare for the reform, the Supreme People's Court said.

Judicial system

There are three levels of courts below the Supreme People's Court in China at district and county level, intermediate courts at municipal level and high courts at provincial, municipality and autonomous region level.

In 1983, to meet the requirements of the "Strike Hard" campaign against violent law breakers, the NPC revised the Organic Law originally passed in 1954 to authorize provincial-level high people's courts to approve death sentences for homicide, rape, robbery, explosions and other crimes that seriously endangered public security.

Until 1983, the Supreme People's Court had been required to review all death penalty cases but lacked the personnel to handle a surge in those cases.

According to Tuesday's revision, from January 1, the provincial, municipality and autonomous region level of high people's courts after issuing a death sentence must submit the decision to the Supreme People's Court for re-examination and approval.

1

2