China's top legislature adopts law on rural land disputes

• Source: Xinhua
• [13:35 June 28 2009]
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The closing session of the ninth session of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress is held in Beijing, capital of China, on June 27, 2009. The ninth session of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress, the top legislature, closed its latest six-day, bi-monthly session Saturday. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

SOCIALIST LEGAL SYSTEM

The top legislature adopted Saturday the nullification of eight laws, including one covering police stations that dates back to 1954, as part of an effort to eliminate redundant, contradictory and obsolete laws.

Wu said 2009-2010 was a key period in forming a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics and the legislative work would be arduous.

He urged improving the legislative work so as to ensure the goal of establishing a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics by 2010, set by the Communist Party of China Central Committee in 1997.

The socialist legal system basically took shape in 2007 and this 11th NPC Standing Committee set the legislative priority as improving legislative quality by enacting backbone laws soon as well as clearing obsolete ones, he said.

Wu said overhauling laws was an important measure of improving legislation so as to ensure a scientific, integrated and harmonious legal system.

As of June 26, 2008, China had 229 laws, with categories including the Constitution, civil and commercial law, administrative and economic law and criminal law, among others.

He said the next step was to urge relevant departments to draft matching regulations.

"When drafting laws in the future, efforts should be made to enact relevant regulations as well so that the regulations could take effect simultaneously with the law, or not too late behind the law, in order to ensure an effective implementation of the law," Wu said.

He stressed that legislation in the pipeline should be completed in time. When revising or enacting laws, revision should be made collectively if disagreement was found in different laws or regulations, in order to ensure the legal system's integrity.

The top legislature also adopted a decision to remove Xia Zhengui, a former Party secretary of Linfen in northern Shanxi, and Ji Chuntang, a former mayor of northern Shijiazhuang, from the post as NPC deputies.

Ji was expelled for his role in last year's adulterated milk scandal. Xia was stripped of the post for a mine accident that caused 277 deaths last year.

According to the Credentials Committee of the NPC Standing Committee, the total number of deputies to the 11th NPC now stands at 2,982.

The meeting also appointed four senior officials to the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.