China's top legislature to vote on draft amendment to Criminal Procedural Law

BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature will vote on the draft decisions on amending the Criminal Procedural Law and the Law on Occupational Illness Prevention and Control at the end of its bimonthly session on Saturday.

The decision was made at a meeting of the chairman and vice chairpersons of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, on Thursday. The meeting was presided over by Chairman Wu Bangguo.

The draft amendment to the Criminal Procedural Law stipulates that prosecutors and police are allowed to check and freeze criminal suspects' bonds, shares and funds, and protective measures should be taken to ensure the safety of appraisers.

The draft amendment to the Law on Occupational Illness Prevention and Control, which undergoes its third reading at the session, stipulates that local governments can arrange patients to get treatment if their former employers no longer exist or the claimed original work relations cannot be ascertained.

At Thursday's meeting, Li Jianguo, vice chairperson of the NPC, reported the draft decisions regarding the number of memberships and elections of the 12th NPC and draft decision on the opening of the 5th session of the 11th NPC.

He also reported the progress of deliberation on a report regarding the qualifications of certain NPC delegates and certain appointments and dismissals, as well as the draft regulation on the selection of the 12th NPC Hong Kong and Macao candidates.

Li Zhaoxing, chairman of the NPC Foreign Affairs Committee, delivered a report on the progress of deliberation and draft decisions of two draft treaties between the Chinese and Italian governments and a China-Russia accord on cooperation for fighting terrorism.

Lawmakers are also expected to vote on an expository bill of the Macao Basic Law.

Before being put to a vote, all these drafts will undergo further deliberation and revisions based on the opinion of the members of the NPC Standing Committee.