Supreme People's Court

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The main gate of the Supreme People's Court in Beijing.

The front facade of the Supreme People's Court in Beijing China.

The Supreme People's Court (Chinese: 最高人民法院; pinyin: Zuìgāo Rénmín Fǎyuàn) is the highest court in the mainland area of the People's Republic of China. Hong Kong and Macau, as special administrative regions, have their own separate judicial systems based on British common law traditions and Portuguese civil-law traditions respectively, and are out of the jurisdiction of the Supreme People's Court.

The court includes over 340 judges which meet in smaller tribunals to decide cases.

Since March 2013, the President of the Supreme People's Court and Chief Grand Justice has been Zhou Qiang.

The SPC trial process consists of a four level, two-hearing system.

History

Procedure

In 2005, the Supreme People's Court announced its intent to "[take] back authority for death penalty approval" over concerns about “sentencing quality”,^[1] and the National People's Congress officially changed the Organic Law on the People's Courts requiring all death sentences to be approved by the Supreme People's Court on 31 October 2006.^[2] It has been reported that since the new review process, the court has rejected 15 percent of the death sentences decided by lower courts.^[3]

Organisational Structure

Courts of the SPC:

• criminal
• civil
• economic
• administrative trials
• other courts set up according to actual needs

Departments within the SPC:

• research office
• general affairs office
• personnel department
• judicial affairs department
• administrative affairs department
• office affairs bureau
• foreign affairs bureau
• education department

Circuit courts:

• First Circuit (established in Shenzhen, Dec 2014)^[4]
• Second Circuit (established in Shenyang, Dec 2014)^[5]

Presidents and Vice Presidents of the Court

1. 1949 - 1954: Supreme People's Court of the Central People's Government
   • President: Shen Junru
2. 1954 - 1959: Supreme People's Court of the People's Republic of China under the 1st National People's Congress
   • President: Dong Biwu
   • Vice Presidents: Gao Kelin, Ma Xiwu, Zhang Zhirang
3. 1959 - 1965: 2nd National People's Congress
   • President: Xie Juezai
   • Vice Presidents: Wu Defeng, Wang Weigang, Zhang Zhirang
4. 1965 - 1975: 3rd National People's Congress
   • President: Yang Xiufeng
   • Vice Presidents: Tan Guansan, Wang Weigang, Zeng Hanzhou, He Lanjie, Xing Yimin, Wang Demao, Zhang Zhirang
5. 1975 - 1978: 4th National People's Congress
   • President: Jiang Hua
   • Vice Presidents: Wang Weigang, Zeng Hanzhou, He Lanjie, Zheng Shaowen
6. 1978 - 1983: 5th National People's Congress
   • President: Jiang Hua
   • Vice Presidents: Zeng Hanzhou, He Lanjie, Zheng Shaowen, Song Guang, Wang Huaian, Wang Zhanping
7. 1983 - 1988: 6th National People's Congress
   • President: Zheng Tianxiang
   • Vice Presidents: Ren Jianxin, Song Guang, Wang Huaian, Wang Zhanping, Lin Huai, Zhu Mingshan, Ma Yuan
8. 1988 - 1993: 7th National People's Congress
   • President: Ren Jianxin
   • Vice Presidents: Hua Liankui, Lin Huai, Zhu Mingshan, Ma Yuan, Duan Muzheng
9. 1993 - 1998: 8th National People's Congress
   • President: Ren Jianxin
   • Vice Presidents: Zhu Mingshan, Xie Anshan, Gao Changli, Tang Dehua, Liu Jiachen, Luo Haocai, Li Guoguang, Lin Huai, Hua Liankui, Duan Muzheng, Wang Jingrong, Ma Yuan
10. 1998 - 2003: 9th National People's Congress
    • President: Xiao Yang
    • Vice Presidents: Zhu Mingshan, Li Guoguang, Jiang Xingchang, Shen Deyong, Wan Exiang, Cao Jianming, Zhang Jun, Huang Songyou, Jiang Bixin
11. 2003 - 2007: 10th National People's Congress
    • President: Xiao Yang
    • Vice Presidents: Cao Jianming, Jiang Xingchang, Shen Deyong, Wan Exiang, Huang Songyou, Su Zelin, Xi Xiaoming, Zhang Jun, Xiong Xuanguo
12. 2008 - 2013: 11th National People's Congress
    • President: Wang Shengjun
    • Vice Presidents: Shen Deyong (Executive), Zhang Jun, Wan Exiang, Jiang Bixin, Su Zelin, Xi Xiaoming, Nan Ying, Jing Hanchao, Huang Ermei
13. 2013 - present: 12th National People's Congress
    • President: Zhou Qiang

See also

• Court system of the People's Republic of China
• Supreme People's Procuratorate - the highest legal supervisory body, charged with safeguarding the laws and people's rights.
• Three Supremes

References

External links

• The Supreme People's Court of the People's Republic of China Official site.
• Chinacourt English website sponsored by the Supreme People's Court, with court news and legal information including biographical information for the Grand Justices.
• PRC Laws Links to English versions of the Constitution, General Principles of Civil Law, Administrative Procedure Law, Civil and Criminal Procedure Laws, and the Judges Law.
• The Supreme People's Court Court information in English, maintained at People's Daily Online.
• The Supreme People's Court of the People's Republic of China English website.

Court systems of the People's Republic of China
Mainland	Supreme People's Court 1st Circuit 2nd Circuit Local people's courts High courts Intermediate courts Basic courts Courts of special jurisdiction Military courts Railway transport courts Maritime courts
Hong Kong	Court of Final Appeal High Court District Court Magistrates' Courts Tribunals
Macau	Court of Final Appeal Intermediate Court Courts of the First Instance Primary Court Administrative Court

Coordinates: 39°54′10.7″N 116°24′18.9″E / 39.902972°N 116.405250°E / 39.902972; 116.405250