Chief Justice: harmonious society is democratic, just society ruled by law

China's Chief Justice and the President of the Supreme People's Court Xiao Yang on Monday said a harmonious society is necessarily a democratic and just society ruled by law.

Xiao delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the 22nd Congress of the Law on the World. He said legislative system and judicial system must ensure a society's justice and fairness. China, like other countries of the world, is making efforts to maintain the whole society's justice.

He said China made major reforms in its Constitution and legal system over recent years. China's top legislature put the clause of "the State respecting and safeguarding human rights" into the Constitution. The principle of protecting private property was also nailed down in the Constitution.

China's Criminal Procedural Law nailed down the principle of presumption of innocence and the Civil Procedural Law established the litigant equality principle. China's legislation is becoming more democratic and more in line with the rule of social development. The judicial system is becoming more fair and efficient.

He said the Congress on the Law of the World is an important platform for legal professionals all over the world to express their views.

He said to realize the rule of law in the world and to build a harmonious international society should depend on the common endeavor of the legal professionals all over the world. To maintain the rule of law is a common subject for all the countries, no matter the legally developed ones or legally developing ones.

"Therefore, communication among the legal professionals of the countries all over the world should be strengthened, so as to realize common development and progress. I believe the Congress will further the communication in the legal field and promote the progress of the world's rule of law," Xiao said.

Source: Xinhua