Draft Criminal Procedure Law amendment submitted to the NPC Standing Committee (55 articles); would strengthen victims' rights and allow countermeasures to improper foreign extraterritorial jurisdiction.
Xinhua reported on 2 November that a draft amendment to the Criminal Procedure Law was submitted that day for deliberation by the 25th session of the 14th National People's Congress Standing Committee. The draft has 55 articles and would revise seven main areas: basic principles of criminal procedure; personal coercive measures; procedures for sealing, seizing, freezing and disposing of property involved in cases; further protection of litigation participants' rights; implementing the constitutional division of labour, mutual coordination and mutual restraint among the courts, procuratorates and public-security organs; juvenile criminal procedure; and foreign-related criminal procedure. China News Service reported the same day that the draft would strengthen protection of criminal victims' rights: where a victim, legal representative or close relative has not appointed a litigation agent for specified reasons, they may apply for legal aid; lawyers acting as victims' agents would have the right to review, extract and copy case files; if a victim dies, close relatives may request that the procuratorate protest a first-instance judgment; and where a victim bringing a private prosecution has difficulty providing evidence, the court may ask the public-security organs for assistance. On foreign-related procedure, the draft would make clear that China's Criminal Procedure Law applies to crimes by foreigners and to crimes committed outside China that are punishable under the Criminal Law, and would add that China may take corresponding countermeasures if a foreign country imposes improper extraterritorial criminal jurisdiction or discriminatory restrictions on Chinese citizens or organisations. The same day, a draft revision of the Renewable Energy Law was also submitted for first reading at the session; the draft has 10 chapters and 76 articles. China Daily, carrying Xinhua, said the Standing Committee began deliberating that revision draft on Monday. The session agenda had been previewed on 30 October (chinaday.news/i/57).
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