Chinese society needs to see solid achievements after the country's ruling Party promised at its most recent plenum to promote the rule of law. The promise, although yet to be wholly fulfilled, has been gilded by the exoneration of Huugjilt, a young man who was wrongfully convicted and executed for rape and murder 18 years ago.

An appeal to review Huugjilt's case had been ongoing for over nine years since Zhao Zhihong, a suspect in more than 20 cases of theft, murder and rape, was caught in 2005 and admitted he was the real murderer in Huugjilt's case. Years of struggle have paid off, and the posthumous pardon of Huugjilt is regarded by many lawyers and other legal professionals as a milestone in China's pursuit of the rule of law.

But more attention should be given to the aftermath of the vindication. A procuratorate in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region made the first move toward fulfilling a vow to thoroughly investigate all law enforcement personnel involved in Huugjilt's 1996 conviction by arresting a police officer who oversaw Huugjilt's case on Wednesday. The officer's "decisiveness" and "insight," for which he was rewarded and promoted after "successfully" solving the case, have become the biggest irony.

Huugjilt's tragic death has helped push China's rule of law into a more meaningful and down-to-earth frontier, in which top dogs who wantonly wielded the baton of law will pay. The rule of law cannot take real effect if the wrongfully convicted regain innocence without those who abused or misused their power to cause injustice being held accountable.

Unfortunately, decades after the rule of law was called for, the accountability mechanism that makes the most crucial contribution to a legal system's sustainability exists in name only. According to research by The Beijing News, the past several years have witnessed at least 10 miscarriages of justice that caught national attention, and the accountability mechanism was used in only three of them. This means that quite a few prosecutors, police officers and judges who seriously failed to fulfill their duties and caused agony to innocent people are still at large, probably in high posts.

The ruling Party seems to have made up its mind to take real action in pursuit of the rule of law instead of treating the concept as a mere slogan. Righting wrongs is an inspirational start that gives the people confidence, but the Party must know that there is no way back once this campaign has been started. If it is unable to pursue this endeavor deeply and thoroughly, the Party will lose significant ground in its credibility with the public.

Huugjilt's family and those who are supporting them have struggled against strong resistance from mysterious forces for years to get justice. These forces must be exposed, and an example must be made of them. The responsibility of law enforcement comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Li Shanjun, a political commentator based in Beijing