Prosecuting organs to supervise use of death penalty more closely

China's prosecuting organs will step up supervision of the application of the death penalty in 2007, said Jia Chunwang, Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate Tuesday.

Jia said prosecuting organs will carefully supervise appeal hearings in death penalty cases to avoid miscarriages of justice and ensure the death penalty is properly applied.

China's courts have allowed video cameras to record proceedings of death sentence appeal hearings since July 2006.

Since July 1 all appeals in death penalty cases in China are heard in open court and can be videotaped.

Video recordings of proceedings will be gradually adopted in death sentence appeal hearings in open court to ensure that justice is carried out.

Prosecuting organs will also intensify supervision of the death penalty review process in 2007, said Jia.

Source: Xinhua